Sticky Date Muffins With Toffee Sauce Food

STICKY DATE MUFFINS WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine dates and water in a pan, bring to boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. let stand 5 minutes.
• Sift flour into a bowl, add all other ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Spoon into muffin pan, any size, but cooking times based on normal muffin pan.
• Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 20 minutes.
• Toffee Sauce:.
• Combine sugar and cream, stir over heat until the sugar dissolves, simmer for 5 minutes.
• Serve muffins warm or cold with toffee sauce and thick cream.

STICKY TOFFEE DATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-round cake pans or 20 muffin tins.
• Place the dates in large saucepan with 3 1/2 cups cold water. Bring to boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Then leave to simmer for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Stir in the baking soda (which will cause the mixture to bubble up).
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and then the flour and salt and mix briefly to give a lumpy dough.
• Next, add the warm date mixture in two batches. Scrape down the sides of bowl in between mixing. The dough will now be quite watery but don't worry! Finally add the baking powder (this will bubble up also).
• Pour the batter evenly into the two pans or muffin tins. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes for cake pans and about 20 minutes for muffin tins. Test if they are cooked with a small knife or toothpick, it should come out clean when cakes are done.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer gently for a minute or two until thickened and well blended.
• When the cakes are done, poke little holes all over with toothpick, this will enable the sauce to be absorbed more easily. Pour the caramel sauce over cakes while both are still warm and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out upside-down onto serving plates (the bottom is the most sticky bit!).
• Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180*C/375*F.
• Combine dates and baking soda in a heatproof bowl.
• Pour over 250ml of boiling water.
• Set dates aside till room temperature.
• Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl till pale.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth.
• Fold in flour then stir in date mixture, including the water.
• Pour mixture into greased and floured 8 inch deep cake pan and bake for 30-45 minutes until cooked through; set aside for a couple of minutes before turning out.
• To make sauce, combine all ingredients over low heat, stirring until butter has melted.
• Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot!

DATE MUFFINS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• To make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and pecans. Using a fork, cut in butter until well combined and mixture begins to hold together a bit. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F Butter a 12-cup muffin tin. Place the dates in a shallow bowl (in a single layer if possible), pour the boiling water over them, and soak for 15 minutes. Transfer the dates and soaking liquid to a food processor and puree until almost smooth but a few pea-sized fruit pieces remain. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. With the motor running, mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until moistened. Follow with the date puree, and when thoroughly combined, mix in remainder of the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and give a final stir with a spatula to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Top with the streusel and press down gently to adhere. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make pudding:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan (2 inches deep), knocking out excess flour.
• Coarsely chop dates and in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan simmer dates in water, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Let mixture stand 20 minutes.
• While mixture is standing, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. Add date mixture and with a wooden spoon stir batter until just combined well.
• Pour batter into baking pan and set pan in a larger baking pan. Add enough hot water to larger pan to reach halfway up sides of smaller pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove smaller pan from water bath and cool pudding to warm on a rack.
• Make sauce while pudding is cooling:
• In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and add brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and stir in cream and vanilla. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool sauce to warm.
• Cut warm pudding into squares. Serve pudding with ice cream and warm sauce.

VEGAN STICKY DATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C-Gas5.
• Chop the dates in half and put them in a small saucepan and cover with the soya milk and water; simmer until the dates are soft.
• Take off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which will froth as you add it to the date mixture. Leave to cool.
• Beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and creamy.
• Add the date mixture and stir.
• Mix the spices into the flour. Sieve the flour and fold into the sponge mixture.
• Spoon the sponge mixture into a 20cm x 20cm tin.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked and the sponge bounces back when pressed.
• To make the sauce: melt the syrup, margarine, sugar and vanilla essence in a small saucepan; simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.
• Prick the pudding all over and pour half the hot toffee sauce over the pudding. Serve the rest of the sauce with the pudding.
• It freezes well, cut into individual servings and place in the freezer. Defrost in the microwave for 2 minutes.