Oh smell it now - hot toffee sauce poured over a moist succulent cake. Sticky Toffee Pudding has to be at the top of the nursery food list!

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscoth Sauce

350g Dates
100g Butter
300g Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
400g Self-raising Flour
 ¹/₂ teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

For the Sauce:
100 ml Single Cream
250g Brown Sugar
100g Butter

1. Pre-heat your oven to 165°C / 330°F / Gas Mark 2. 
2. Place the dates in a pan and cover with boiling water over a low heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the dates are soft. Drain and transer to the blender. Blend the dates until you get a smooth paste.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and suger. One by one add the eggs, mixing well between each one. Mix in the dates.
4. Sift together the flour and Bicarbonate of Soda and fold into the mixture.
5. Grease and line a baking tin and pour in the mixture. Place in the oven for 60 minutes.
6. To make the sauce, place the butter, sugar and half the cream in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to the boil, stiring frequently.
7. When the sauce reaches a goldne brown colour, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining cream.
8. Serve a slice of the pudding with the hot butterscotch sauce. Delightful!

For those who prefer their puddings steamed, here is an alternative recipe.

185g Dates, chopped
70g Butter, Room temperature
150g Soft Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
150g Self-raising Flour
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
100g Chopped Walnuts (optional)

1. Place the chopped dates in a pan with 250ml of cold water. Add the bicarbonate of Soda and heat until boiling. The mixture will froth, so don’t panic!! Cook through until the mixture is reduced to a running paste.
2. Beat together the sugar and butter.
3. Beat in one egg and some flour. Then repeat with the other egg. Add in the remaining flour.
4. Add the vanilla, walnuts and date mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Grease 5 ramkins and line the base of each with greaseproof paper.
6. Pour in the mixture, distributing evenly between the six ramkins.
7. Place the ramkins in a roasting tray. Fill the tray with boiling water, so that the water comes to halfway up the ramkins.
8. Cover loosely with foil. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 35 mins, or until the pudding is firm to the touch.
9. Turn out onto the serving plate and cover with butterscotch sauce (same recipe as above).

I have to admit that I prefer the steamed version. The pudding is alot more moist. Once steamed, you can reheat the puddings in the microwave (pop them in for less that a minute).