Friday 11 April 2014

Sticky Date Puddings with Salted Caramel Sauce












I made some Sticky Date Puddings and Salted Caramel Sauce to have with the Toasted Sesame Seed Ice Cream I made yesterday. There's only so much sitting-in-the-rain-eating-ice-cream I can do without the neighbours starting to talk.



Sticky Date Puddings with Salted Caramel Sauce
slightly adapted from Gourmet Traveller
makes 10

For the Puddings:
450ml milk (I used low fat)
370g pitted dates, roughly chopped
1 vanilla bean (seeds and pod)
1 teaspoon baking soda
120g unsalted butter, softened
220g golden caster sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
225g self-raising flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

For the Sauce:
275g caster sugar
100ml water
180ml pouring cream
50g unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

To Serve:
Toasted Sesame Seed Ice CreamExtra toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling

Make the Puddings:
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and put them together with the pod, milk and dates into a small saucepan. Bring to boil and turn off the heat. Add the baking soda (it will bubble up), and set aside for an hour.

After an hour, take the vanilla pod out, pour the dates and milk into a blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside

Preheat the oven to 175 C. Grease and flour 10 x 125ml capacity ramekins or pie tins.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce the speed of the mixer to its lowest setting and add the flour, spices and the date mixture and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins to about three-quarters full and tap them gently on the bench to level. Put them onto a baking tray and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until they are golden and spring back when gently pressed.

Make the Sauce:
Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan and stir. Place over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring and increase the heat to high. Boil the mixture until it turns a deep golden colour (about 10 - 15 minutes). Remove from the heat, add the cream, butter and salt (be careful, as the caramel will bubble up). Stir for about a minute until thoroughly combined.

To Serve:
Serve the puddings warm in their ramekins or tins. Top with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of hot Salted Caramel Sauce and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.



18 comments:

  1. You're killing me here! STP is one of my all-time favorite desserts! Ate it with my hands in a car driving through the highlands of Scotland, the very first time I tried it (I was actually a passenger). Heaven!! Your last shot makes me want to reach in through the screen...ugh!

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    1. Sorry!!!

      I do love how food can evoke memories though. Loved your story.

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks Jessica. Drop in, we've got a couple left.

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  3. OH. MY. GOODNESS. This looks amazing, Jen!

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    1. Thanks Marie. They are an all-time-favourite.

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  4. One of my favourite dessert is this one. There's noting better than this hun? Seriously, your pictures are inredible & it makes me wanna do this now. For breakfast because it's too good. I can't imagine with the ice cream on top of that...wow :)

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    1. I'm all for dessert for breakfast. Can I join you?

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  5. After moving to Australia I tried sticky date pudding in a restaurant and fell in love. I haven't made it for ages and now I must have it tonight!

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    1. Thanks Maureen. I seriously do not know anyone who doesn't like sticky date pudding.

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  6. I have never heard of sticky pudding before but after reading about this and seeing your pics I have to make this. Just pinned.

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    1. It's a real favourite here Cheri. Even my kids who don't normally like dates, love this.

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  7. Just gorgeous! Such stunning photography too :-)

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  8. Oh, not sure if my comment went through? It disappeared. Tonight in Orange, Peter and I had one just like this and it was the best ever! Yours looks divine! I am tempted to try it and perhaps blog it, with links back to you, of course. May I?

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    1. You're the second person who has said their comment disappeared. I may have to investigate.

      I think you'll love this recipe. I'm more than happy for you to make this and blog it. That's what it's all about.

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  9. I don't usually resort to blubbering over food but I think I would upon smelling these treats. Oh my... that salted caramel sauce...! Love the idea of combining it with the extra sesame and your smooth sesame ice cream. The salted caramel and nutty sesame would be absolute heaven xx

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    1. This is a killer combo even if I do say so myself. I want to drizzle salted caramel sauce over my life.

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