Dalvay by the Sea Sticky Date
Pudding with Toffee Sauce
Ingredients
Pudding
- 1 3/4 cups packed pitted dates (about 10 ounces)
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
Sauce
- 1 3/4 sticks (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pudding: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan (2 inches deep), knocking out excess flour.
- Coarsely chop dates and in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan simmer dates in water, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Let mixture stand 20 minutes.
- While mixture is standing, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. Add date mixture and with a wooden spoon stir batter until just combined well.
- Pour batter into baking pan and set pan in a larger baking pan. Add enough hot water to larger pan to reach halfway up sides of smaller pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove smaller pan from water bath and cool pudding to warm on a rack.
- Make Sauce while pudding is cooling.
- Sauce: In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and add brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and stir in cream and vanilla extract. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool sauce to warm.
- Cut warm pudding into squares. Serve pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm Sauce.
Serves 6 to 8.
Source: Dalvay By The Sea - Prince Edward Island, Canada