A warming winter pudding made stickier by using medjool dates.
Ingredients
175g medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped
200ml boiling water,
1tsp bicarbonate soda
85g butter
150g soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp black treacle
2 large eggs
150g self- raising flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
75g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
Sticky Toffee Sauce
100g butter
75g soft dark brown sugar
75g soft light brown sugar
150ml double cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C and grease a 20x26cm, approximately, baking dish with butter.
Put the dates into a small bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and pour on the boiling water, stir and
leave for 10minutes.
Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy, whisk in the
black treacle. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each. Sift the flour and baking
powder together over the mixture and fold in. Stir in the dates and their soaking water, and then
fold in the pecan nuts.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until
firm and springy to the touch.

Make the toffee sauce by melting together the butter, sugars and cream in a saucepan over a low
heat. Bring to the boil and let it bubble for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the
back of a spoon.
Preheat your grill to high or 200C. Pierce the pudding all over with holes using a skewer and pour
over half to three quarters of the sauce in an even layer over the top of the pudding. Place under the
grill for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling, keeping an eye on it so it does not burn.
Serve with the remaining toffee sauce, cream, custard, ice-cream and even fruit.