Sticky Date Pudding!

I think I can honestly say I have never met anyone who doesn't like Sticky Date Pudding. And before you correct me, please note that I don't care to know anyone who doesn't like Sticky Date Pudding. So there!

I made this pudding for a family dinner recently, and it was so yummy. It was quite easy to put together (the recipe is from Stephanie Alexander's 'The Cook's Companion'). And it really is the perfect dessert for those cold winter evenings.

Serve w/ thick cream, or my preference, vanilla ice-cream.

Yummmmmmmmm!

Ingredients

Pudding

170g dates, stoned & chopped

1 tsp bi-carb soda

300ml boiling water

60g unsalted butter

3/4 cup caster or brown sugar

2 eggs

170g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp pure vanilla

Sauce

400g brown sugar

1 cup thick cream

250g unsalted butter

1 tsp pure vanilla

(or 1 bean, split)

Preheat the oven to 180'c and butter an 1 litre oven-proof dish (or a cake tin is fine). Mix the dates & bi-carb soda together in a bowl, then pour over the boiling water & leave to stand.

Cream butter & sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Fold the flour in gently, then stir in the date mixture & vanilla. Pour into the prepared dish & bake in the centre of the oven for 30-40 mins, or until it passes the skewer test (that is, if you poke a skewer in it comes out clean).

Do not turn the oven off.
To make the sauce, bring all the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. If you used the vanilla bean, remove it, then pour a little of the warm sauce over the pudding and return it to the oven for 2-3 minutes, allowing the sauce to soak in.

Remove, and serve w/ extra sauce!