Individual Sticky Date Puddings Recipe

The following recipe makes six individual puddings. If you have trouble neatly presenting desserts, these puddings are great as there is no slicing involved.

Makes 6 puddings.

Puddings
135g (3/4 cup) pitted dried dates
125ml (1/2 cup) water
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
30g butter
1 large egg (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla essence)
112g (3/4 cup) self-raising flour
80g (1/3 cup) caster sugar

Butterscotch Sauce
150g (3/4 cup, lightly packed) brown sugar
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream (35 percent fat)
1 tablespoon (20ml) golden syrup
20g butter

Whipped cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced).

Grease six holes of a muffin pan (1/3 cup capacity holes).

Place dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add bicarbonate of soda and butter and remove from heat. Stir date mixture until butter is melted and set aside to cool to room temperature. © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Pulse date mixture in a food processor until it forms a coarse paste. Add egg and vanilla and pulse until combined.

Combine flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Add date mixture and stir until just combined. Divide mixture evenly between six muffin holes.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a pudding comes out clean.

While puddings are baking, place the butterscotch sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to the simmer, simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

We prefer the puddings served hot from the oven. We pierce the puddings with a skewer before pouring the sauce over to help the sauce absorb into the puddings.

Serve puddings with hot butterscotch sauce and a dollop of whipped cream and/or ice cream.

Store leftover puddings and sauce in the refrigerator or freezer. Puddings can be reheated in the microwave. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au