Sticky Date Puddings

The most mouth watering, indulgent dessert... made for any day of the week!

I haven't seen them on any menu here in the US and when I googled for a good recipe, I found out they are apparently an Australian dessert. Well, there you go!  No wonder I miss them.  I got this recipe from taste.com.au but my good friend Anne, sent me her much treasured family recipe and I was happy to see it was the same.  I was after something totally delicious and easy for the end of a dinner party a few weeks ago and needless to say - these went down SO well. I am making them again this week for me.  I have the cream in the house and I can't think of a better thing to waste my calories on than a batch of these.

I made them in individual muffin trays rather than the more traditional high ring tin and it was so worth it. The girls enjoyed them later that week (yeah, no surprise with that caramel sauce) and it was easier to dish up.  You can buzz them in the microwave for a half a minute and then serve with good quality vanilla ice-cream or custard.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
250g pitted dates, chopped (0.55 pounds or approx 2.5 cups)
1tspn bicarbonate  of soda
1 cup boiling water
125g butter, softened (1.1 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted

Caramel sauce:
2 cups brown sugar
100g butter,
2 cups thickened cream (whipping cream)
1 tspn vanilla extract


Method:

• Preheat oven to 180'C (350'F)
• Prepare the muffin trays, greasing and then using parchment paper strips as tabs to help pull puddings up once cooked.
• Places dates and bicarb soda in a bowl and add boiling water.  Let stand for 20mins.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamed.  Add eggs, 1 at a time beating well between each egg.  
• Using a large spoon, fold date mixture and flour through until well combined
• Spoon mixture into prepared pans and bake for 35-40mins or until a skewer comes out clean
• Carefully run a knife around the muffin trays and remove using the tabs, onto a rack to cool.
• Make the caramel sauce by combining all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook and stir often until the sauce comes to a boil and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 mins.
• Pierce the puddings all over and pour about 2 tablespoons or so of the warm sauce into each pudding. Let stand for 10minutes.  
• Serve with the remaining sauce and good vanilla ice-cream or double cream, or custard.