Sticky Ginger Toffee Pudding

serves eight

Ingredients

for the pudding

• 250g dates, stoned and chopped
• 250ml black tea (not too strong)
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 85g unsalted butter, softened
• 175g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 175g self-raising flour, sieved
• 4 balls of stem ginger (from a jar), finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

for the sauce

• 75g light muscovado sugar
• 4 tablespoons ginger syrup from the jar of stem ginger
• 100g unsalted butter
• 125ml double cream

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas 4.

• Place the dates and tea in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes for the dates to soften, and then stir in the bicarbonate of soda.

• Cream together the butter and caster sugar before thoroughly mixing in the eggs, flour, stem ginger, mixed spice and date mixture.

• Pour into a roughly 22cm square (or similar) buttered baking dish or tin. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is just firm to touch.

• While the pudding is cooking, you can make the sauce by putting the sugar, ginger syrup, butter and cream in a saucepan. Place over a low heat and simmer gently until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is a light toffee colour.

• Serve the pudding with the warm sauce and, if you are feeling really indulgent, a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.

PS…
For the best results, try and use medjool dates because they have a lovely natural toffee flavour and sticky texture.