I'm on the countdown to the summer holidays now. It's been a super busy week for me with commissions. Not only did I have my very first corporate commission on Monday (Mr Grey Will See You Now) but I've had two other celebration cakes this weekend and am about to head back into the kitchen to make the dough for 400 cookies due in a couple of days. All super exciting, but I'm definitely going to be in need of some R&R when we head for sunnier climes in a couple of weeks!
We love having family dinners on Sunday night. It's the only night when our timings all come together and we can sit down and have an early dinner with the boys. Hubby's had the job of entertaining the boys whilst I've been busy caking it, so I decided to make them all a little treat tonight with Sticky Toffee Pudding. This is Jamie Oliver's version of the pud which I first saw him make on one of his TV shows and knew that I just had to make it for us too!
Whether you make the cake in a big dish or try for something slightly more delicate (I did both) the cake is lovely and light and the real winner of this pud is the toffee sauce. It is so yummy! The boys wouldn't usually eat dates but when puréed and mixed through the cake, they are invisible to the human eye, particularly those of fussy little boys. It is quick to make, doesn't take too long to cook and then you can make the sauce fresh when you're ready to serve it so the warm oozing sticky sauce soaks into the cake and makes one heavenly pud.
We loved it. The boys loved it. My youngest went back for extra helpings and had to be stopped at, I think, his fifth helping made especially yummy with some honeycomb ice cream. This rarely happens as although the boys like sweet things, they usually stop after one helping (unless it's Grandpa's custard, of course, and then they can eat a whole tub!)
They've asked me to make it again. Just as well as I think this is going to be a regular pud in our house for many years to come!
Sticky Toffee Pudding Serves 8 (recipe by Jamie Oliver)
Pudding Ingredients
- 225G FRESH DATES, STONED
- 1 TSP BICARBONATE OF SODA
- 85G UNSALTED BUTTER AT ROOM TEMP
- 170G CASTER SUGAR
- 2 LARGE EGGS
- 170G SELF-RAISING FLOUR
- ¼ TSP GOUND MIXED SPICE
- ¼ TSP GROUND CINNAMON
- 2 TBSP OVALTINE
- 2 TBSP NATURAL YOGHURT
Method
- Preheat you oven to 180 degrees (fan)
- Place the dates with the bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and cover them with 200ml boiling water
- Leave to stand for a few minutes to soften, then drain and whizz in the food processor until you have a purée
- Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer for a few minutes until pale
- Then add the eggs, flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and Ovaltine and mix well together
- Fold in the yoghurt and puréed dates
- Pour into a buttered ovenproof baking dish - I used a mini bundt tin with 6 cavities to make the mini cakes and then poured the remaining batter into the ovenproof dish
- Bake the larger ovenproof dish for 35 mins but if you're making little puds then check them after 18 mins (a toothpick in the centre should come out clean)
Toffee Sauce Ingredients
- 115G UNSALTED BUTTER
- 115G LIGHT MUSCOVADO SUGAR
- 140ML DOUBLE CREAM
Method
- When you're ready to serve your pudding, make the toffee sauce by putting the butter, sugar and cream in a small saucepan over a low heat until the sugar is all dissolved and the sauce has thickened and darkened in colour
- Pour the warm sauce over the pudding and serve as it is - but it's particularly good with cream, custard or ice cream :)