Serves 8
Ingredients:
100 ml boiling water
200 g dates, chopped
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (measure carefully, too much will leave a taste)
50 g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
50 g crystallised ginger, chopped
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Grease a non-stick 24 cm square or rectangular baking tin.
- Place dates and baking soda in a bowl, pour over the boiling water, leave to cool.
- In a separate bowl beat the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup until creamy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla essence and dates to creamed mixture.
- Fold in flour, baking powder and ginger. The mixture will be very wet.
- Pour into tin and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare the sauce.
- Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle, it should come out clean.
- Turn out and cut into squares.
- Serve with hot butterscotch sauce and a dollop of creme fraiche.
Note:
The cooked pudding can be frozen. Thaw before reheating briefly in the microwave.
Butterscotch sauce:
Excellent dessert sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week. It thickens as it cools, so warm it up in a microwave or over a low heat in a pot to just soften before serving. Try serving with baked or grilled bananas and ice cream.
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
50 g unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup cream
- Heat sugar in a pot over low heat until it turns deep gold.
- Carefully pour over boiling water and stir until smooth.
- Mix in butter and brown sugar, stirring until mixture is smooth and sugar has dissolved.
- Stir in vanilla and cream.
- Remove from heat.
Tip:
If you don't get a nice smooth mixture at step two of the sauce, strain through a sieve and discard any lumps of crystallised sugar. Continue steps 3 - 5.