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Sticky Toffee Pudding! This is a very popular dessert in England, often served warm with a delicious hot toffee sauce. Recipe here for Slow cooker, oven or steamer. You choose!

Sticky Toffee Pudding! This is the King of Great British Puddings!

Traditional British Puddings are often steamed in pudding basins then turned out to give a dome appearance as in the photo, and then served warm with a sauce, custard or ice cream.

The puddings are often very hearty, filling and warming, and of course, popular in the winter months.

Here I have a wonderful recipe I first made many years ago when I was at school. It was a regular on our school lunch menu and very popular!

The generous pouring of toffee sauce all over the pudding makes for a very luxurious dessert and certainly not for those counting calories!

Here I made the pudding using the steaming and crock pot methods so that more of you can make this in your own homes. So without further ado, let's get to the recipe!

Equipment you'll need

1 1/2 pint pudding basin, or 6 - 8 mini pudding basins / ramekins.

Parchment paper and Aluminium Foil.

For oven method, use this size bake pan :
8" x 8" x 2 ½" deep (20cm x 20cm x 6.5cm deep)

Ingredients

PUDDING Ingredients

8 oz or 225 g cooking dates, stoned and chopped small
3/4 Cup or 175 ml boiling water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Cups or 175 g Self-raising Flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large, fresh eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 Cup or 85 g butter , softened
2/3 Cup or 140 g demerara (brown) sugar
2 tbsp black treacle / Molasses
1/2 Cup or 100 ml milk

SAUCE Ingredients

3/4 Cup or 175 g light muscovado sugar (if you can't get muscavado, use dark brown sugar)
1/4 Cup or 55 g butter , cubed
1 Cup or 225 ml heavy / double cream
1 Tbsp black treacle / molasses

Instructions

Make the Pudding batter

1. Grease your pudding basin, mini pots or ramekins or Baking pan.

2. Cut a piece of parchment paper and place it in the base of your container . This will stop the pudding sticking later.

3. Put the chopped dates into a large bowl, add the boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Once soft, add the vanilla extract.

4. Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a separate bowl.

5. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, the sugar may not dissolve, but don't worry.

6. Slowly add the beaten eggs, mixing really well in between, then add the treacle and beat well.

7. Using a metal spoon fold in one half of the flour, then stir in one half of the milk. Repeat until all the flour and milk is used up.

8. Add the chopped dates (including any liquid in the bowl) and stir gently.
The pudding mixture will be a thick batter.

9. Divide the mixture between the pudding ramekins, or place in the large basin or baking pan.

How to make a pleated cover for the pudding basin

For Steaming or Crock pot, please see below for covering the pudding basins:
*** PLEASE make sure you do this otherwise your pudding will turn out a very soggy mess!

1. Take a sheet of Aluminium foil and a sheet of parchment, place as in the photo, and make a pleat in the middle.

2. Cover the pudding with the foil side up and tie the string around the rim of the basin to secure the cover.

Cooking times for Oven, Slow Cooker and Steamer

OVEN

Place the puddings on a baking sheet (uncovered) and bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 mins for individual puddings or 45 - 50 mins for the large square at 325 F / 160 C / Gas 3.

The cake should be raised and firm to the touch, if not cook a little longer but take care not to burn.

Once ready, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out.

CROCKPOT

Fill the crock pot with water so it comes half way up the pudding bowl. Place 1 Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in the water to avoid a water mark after cooking.

Set for 4 hours on HIGH. When done, poke a knife through the middle of the pudding.

The knife should come out sticky but not runny with batter. If it is runny, please cook a little longer.

When ready, remove the pudding and set aside to rest for 20 minut

STEAMING

Steam a large pudding for 1 1/2 hours, small puddings for 45 minutes.

When ready for serving, run a flat knife around the edge to loosen and turn upside down onto a plate deep enough to hold the toffee sauce.

MAKE THE TOFFEE SAUCE

1. Over a medium heat, melt the butter, sugar and half the cream in a saucepan. Raise the heat slightly and bring to the boil stirring constantly until all the sugar has dissolved.

Add the treacle and allow the sauce to bubble for 2 mins

2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 minute then stir in the remaining cream.

Place a portion of the warm cake onto serving dishes, and drizzle generous amounts of sauce over.

Serve with custard or ice cream.

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