Sticky Toffee Pudding for the Last Miserable Days

 

Oh, we're all going to get our little hearts broken. Was it nice where you were today? It was pretty nice here and it's supposed to be that way for the rest of the week, and, if we're really really good, maybe even into the weekend. It's time to feel pretty smugly pleased with ourselves for once again witnessing these stretching days as they warm right up. Flowers everywhere. Trilling and chirping birds. And bike rides with jackets open and warm breezes and later sunsets. So lovely. We're just so optimistic and full of love and hope. We are so headed for a fall. 

Because it's March. It won't last. Wherever you are in the Northern Hemisphere, however well the weather is currently behaving, we will be delivered with some really awful days in the next little while. March is a tease and never a safe bet. April is no better. Even worse because our expectations are higher.

So here's what I'm proposing the next time we get walloped with a chilly and mediocre and grey day: make Sticky Toffee Pudding. Because oh my god it's one of the best things that will ever enter your mouth if you like concentrated sweetness, warmth and toffee. And it's easy. And it's really good for any lazy night curled up in front of a film. And because it won't be that appetizing by when it's properly warm outside. 

I had been meaning to make it for months, ever since those first autumn shivers. I knew I had to get my act together and fortunately this past weekend was gross and kindly accommodated. We sometimes buy pre-made versions of this pudding. And I love them. So I was pretty concerned that my at home attempt wouldn't equal the grocery store equivalent. But it was even better. The crisp outer edge of the cake that gives way to the soft, cakey centre all smothered in toffee sauce and served with a pool of warm custard. This is a dream in a bowl. 

Last week a study claimed that some celebrity chef recipes contained dangerous amounts of saturated fat. In particular, Gordon Ramsay's STP recipe was targeted. Why this was front (of the Life and Style section) page news when, duh, obviously recipes that are primarily made with cream and butter are high in saturated fat, and the study was funded by a margarine company, so there might have been a bit of bias and anyway, hasn't saturated fat been given the not-totally-terrible-for-you clear when compared to some of the weirder and more horrible people-made fats, is a mystery to me. But just so you know, this recipe is not great for your saturated fat levels. It is very good for your emotional well-being. Eat vegetables before and during the day that follows and forget about it.

Do you want the recipe? Here it is. It's mostly taken from the BBC's website, but I added raisins to the mix. If you are a raisin person, I feel like it's an essential addition. It breaks things up. If you're not, then whatever. This has a lot of dates in it. If you're weird about dried fruit maybe you should just stop reading all together and have a long hard think about what's wrong with your palate.

I've also adapted some technique from David Lebovitz because the toffee layer on the bottom of the pan is crucial. I cut the recipe in half, poured it into a loaf tin and baked for about 20 minutes. It served the two of us twice. But this is the full strength version in case there are more of you.

Here we go! Sticky Toffee Pudding!

Ingredients for the cake:

225g whole dates

150g raisins

boiling water

175g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

85 g butter

140g brown sugar

2 tbsp black treacle/molasses

100ml milk

custard!

 

for the toffee sauce:

175g brown sugar

50g butter, in pieces

225ml double, heavy cream

1tbsp black treacle

1. Place the dates and the raisins in separate bowls. Cover both with boiling water. Let them sit.

2. Grease your baking dish or mini pudding dishes and preheat the oven to 180/350

3. Make the toffee sauce: Put butter and sugar and half the cream in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Stir all the time! It's going to bubble and slowly turn brown. After about 5-7 minutes, remove from heat and slowly whisk in the remaining cream and the treacle. Pour half of the sauce in your baking tin and put the tin in the freezer. (At this point I added a bit more cream and butter to the remaining sauce so it wouldn't solidify completely and I would be able to easily  heat it up again).

4. Make the cake: cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla. Now beat in the treacle. Combine the flour and the baking soda in a separate bowl. Add it to the batter in 2-3 additions, alternating with the milk. All the recipes said not to over-mix, so just in case, I'll warn you of that as well. Drain the dates and mash them up with a fork. Add them to the batter. Drain the raisins and put them in there as well. Pour the batter in the pan (on top of chilled toffee layer) and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until your cake tester comes out so fresh and so clean.

5. To serve, heap the cake into a bowl, add warm toffee sauce on top and surround with custard. Die of pleasure.

 

Comments

[Dad]

maybe here in the far north we actually have bad dates (so to speak) so maybe the real issue is i need to find great dates (so to speak).

[katie]

No. You can't substitute figs. The seeds would be awful and the dried flesh is too tough. Use dates. The cake doesn't taste date-y. Just soften them really well and then really mash them up so you won't have any lingering chunks. Even whizz them up in a food processor.

Actually, if you *had* to remove the dates (baby), then I would put in some applesauce instead. That would make it just as moist and the flavour would be lovely. I'm guessing here, but maybe 1 cup?

[Dad]

No dates. you know i hate dates. it's the one thing that i actually don't like...if taryn was here she would say they taste like.....@#$%.
so what's an acceptable substitute? figs? i love figs. xxoo