When I posted on my Facebook, boxes of Medjool dates that I bought recently, my nephew commented, " Sticky Dates Pudding". What a brilliant idea! Thanks, Leonard! This is a really a yummy treat, and I can't believe that it is so easy to prepare!
I google for several recipes and decided on this recipe by Donna Hay. I reduced the amount of sugar and replaced the toffee sauce with caramel sauce.
Recipe
(mostly adapted from Donna Hay)
200g chopped dates, pitted
250ml boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
100g unsalted butter
90g brown sugar
2 eggs
150g self-raising flour
Method:
1) Mix the chopped dates, boiling water and baking soda together and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
2) Cream the butter and sugar together lightly to combine. Mix in the dates mixture from step 1.
3) Add the eggs and flour. Mix to combine. The batter looks very watery, but this is perfectly ok.
4) Pour into a greased and lined pan (I used 8" square pan).
5) Bake in a preheated oven of 180C for about 30 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares. Warm up the pudding slightly in a microwave, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle caramel sauce over the pudding.
Caramel sauce
(Recipe from Martha Stewart)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt (I replaced with sea salt that I add in only at the end of cooking)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter (I omit)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
1) Place sugar, salt (if using) and water in a small saucepan, and bring to boil over medium heat.
2) When the sugar mixture turns to amber colour, lower the heat and pour in the cream (be careful, the mixture will bubbled up!). Stir in the butter if you are using.
3) Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract and sea salt. Cool completely before storing in the fridge. To serve, reheat in a microwave oven.