sticky toffee pudding.txt

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

23 minutes from room temp in Tarek's oven


Servings: 8

Sticky toffee pudding is a tender cake, of British origin, studded with honey-sweet dates and doused in a buttery toffee sauce. It is exquisitely rich and decidedly crave-worthy. To make it look even more gorgeous, add a dollop of whipped cream and a sliver of date.

Ingredients:

   85g  1/2 cup pitted and finely chopped dates
    3/4 tsp. baking soda
    3/4 cup boiling water
    4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  165g  3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
    3 eggs
    2 tsp. vanilla extract
  136g  1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For the toffee sauce:

    4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  165g  3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
    3/4 cup heavy cream
    2 tsp. vanilla extract
    Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter eight 1/2-cup custard cups. Dust with flour and place on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the dates and baking soda with the boiling water. Let stand until cool, about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until lightened. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine. Add the date mixture and stir well. The batter will be thin. Fill the custard cups about two-thirds full.

Bake until the puddings are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cream and stir with a whisk until the sauce gets sticky, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and salt.

To serve, unmold each warm pudding onto a plate and top with a big spoonful of the toffee sauce, letting it run all over the plate. Serves 8.

Baker’s note: Make a double batch of toffee sauce and reserve half to drizzle over any number of desserts, from scoops of vanilla ice cream to pound cake, and even over your morning buttermilk pancakes. It’s that good!

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Home Baked Comfort, by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2011).