Gooey Toffee Puddings Food

ENGLISH STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch round or square baking dish. Sift the flour and baking powder onto a sheet of waxed paper. Chop the dates fine. Place in a small bowl and add the boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a bowl of electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the date mixture to the batter and fold until blended with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until pudding is set and firm on top, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack.
• Toffee Sauce: Combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small heavy saucepan; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil gently over medium low heat until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Preheat broiler. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the sauce over the pudding. Spread evenly on top. Place pudding under the broiler until the topping is bubbly, about 1 minute. Serve immediately spooned into dessert bowls. Drizzle with toffee sauce and top with a spoonful of whipped cream.

SELF-SAUCING STICKY TOFFEE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dates in a bowl and pour in 300ml boiling water. Leave to soak for 30 mins. Meanwhile, make the sauce by tipping all the ingredients, a big pinch of salt and 300ml boiling water into a pan, then whisk over a medium heat and simmer for 2 mins. Pour into a jug and leave to cool slightly. Once the dates are soaked, use a hand blender to blitz the dates and water until you have smooth paste. Leave to cool slightly. Butter a deep 35 x 25cm dish.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat together the butter and sugar for 3 mins until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Fold in the flour, bicarb and baking powder along with a pinch of salt. Once combined, mix in the date purée, then fold in the dark chocolate. Pour the sponge batter into the prepared dish and spread out evenly using the back of a spoon. Pour the chocolate sauce evenly over the top of the batter.
• Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins until risen, then leave to rest for 2 mins. Serve warm with a big scoop of ice cream or warm custard.

APPLE TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C, 365F, gas mark 4.
• Grease a 3 pint shallow (2-3 inches) ovenproof dish.
• Mix flour, white sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
• Beat egg and mix with milk and melted butter.
• Stir into the dry ingredients until smooth.
• Peel, quarter and core the apples, cut each quarter into 2 - 3 thick slices.
• Lay the apples on the bottom of the dish and pour the batter over the top.
• Add boiling water to the brown sugar, stir well and pour evenly over the pudding.
• Bake for about 40 mins until the pudding is golden brown and springy to the touch.

ULTIMATE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Stone and chop 225g medjool dates quite small, put them in a bowl, then pour over 175ml boiling water.
• Leave for about 30 mins until cool and well-soaked, then mash a bit with a fork. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• Butter and flour seven mini pudding tins (each about 200ml/7fl oz) and sit them on a baking sheet. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• While the dates are soaking, make the puddings. Mix 175g self-raising flour and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda together and beat the 2 eggs in a separate bowl.
• Beat 85g softened butter and 140g demerara sugar together in a large bowl for a few mins until slightly creamy (the mixture will be grainy from the sugar). Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between additions.
• Beat in 2 tbsp black treacle then, using a large metal spoon, gently fold in one-third of the flour and bicarbonate of soda mix, then half of the 100ml milk, being careful not to overbeat. Repeat until all the flour mix and all the milk is used.
• Stir the soaked dates into the pudding batter. The mix may look a little curdled at this point and will be like a soft, thick batter.
• Spoon it evenly between the tins and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen and firm.
• Meanwhile, put the 175g light muscovado sugar and 50g butter pieces for the sauce in a medium saucepan with half the 225ml double cream.
• Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Stir in 1 tbsp black treacle, turn up the heat slightly and let the mixture bubble away for 2-3 mins until it is a rich toffee colour, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Take the pan off the heat and beat in the rest of the double cream.
• Remove the puddings from the oven. Leave in the tins for a few mins, then loosen them well from the sides of the tins with a small palette knife before turning them out.
• You can serve them now with the sauce drizzled over, but they'll be even stickier if left for a day or two coated in the sauce. To do this, pour about half the sauce into one or two ovenproof serving dishes.
• Sit the upturned puddings on the sauce, then pour the rest of the sauce over them. Cover with a loose tent of foil so that the sauce doesn't smudge (no need to chill).
• When ready to serve, heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Warm the puddings through, still covered, for 15-20 mins or until the sauce is bubbling. Serve them on their own, or with cream or custard.