Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce
By: Susan Keefe
Published: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 12:06pm

Ingredients




1 ¾ cups packed pitted dates, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 ½ tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp fresh ginger, pureed
½ tsp salt
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
For Sauce:
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp single malt scotch (I used Redbreast)

Preparation

1 Pudding – Preheat oven to 375°. 2 Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan. 3 Place dates, water, and ginger in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat uncovered for 5 minutes. 4 Remove heat from pan and stir in baking soda.  Mixture will foam. 5 Let mixture stand for 20 minutes. 6 While you’re waiting, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. 7 In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. 8 Beat in eggs one at a time. 9 Mix in the flour mixture in three batches, beating after each addition until just combined. 10 Add date mixture and stir until combined. 11 Pour batter into baking pan and set inside a larger baking pan.  Add enough hot water to the large baking pan to reach half way up the sides of the smaller baking pan. 12 Bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes. 13 When done, remove pudding from water bath to cool. 14 Serve with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream. 15 Toffee Sauce – In a 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over moderate heat. 16 Add brown sugar and bring mixture to a boil stirring occasionally. 17 Add cream and scotch and reduce heat. 18 Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.  About five minutes. 19 Cool sauce slightly and pour over squares of pudding.

About

I picked this recipe up while staying at Dalvay By the Sea in Prince Edward Island, Canada.  I made a few minor tweeks, but for the most part it's still the pudding I fell in love with.