The Ultimate Sticky Toffee Pudding Food

THE ULTIMATE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 325 F /160 C / Gas 3.
• Butter and lightly dust an 8 x 8 x 2 1/2-inch square baking tin with flour.
• Put the chopped dates into a large glass bowl, cover with boiling water, leave for 20 minutes to swell and soften. Once soft, add the vanilla extract.
• Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large baking bowl.
• In another baking bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, don't worry about grains of sugar, they will melt during cooking.
• Little by little, add the beaten eggs, mixing really well between additions. Add the treacle and beat well.
• Using a large metal spoon carefully fold in one-third of the flour, then carefully stir in one-third of the milk. Repeat until all the flour and milk is used up.
• Add the chopped dates (including any liquid in the bowl) and stir gently. The pudding mixture will resemble a thick batter.
• Pour the mixture into the baking tin and bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes until the sponge is raised and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out.
• Over medium heat, melt the butter, sugar, and half the cream in a saucepan. Raise the heat slightly and bring to the boil stirring constantly until all the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the treacle and allow the sauce to bubble for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 minute then stir in the remaining cream.
• Place a portion of the cake onto warm individual serving dishes, and drizzle generous amounts of sauce over.
• Serve with custard or ice cream.

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.

THE ULTIMATE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dates in a bowl and pour ove the boiling water. Leave to stand for about 30 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and mash them up a bit if they are large pieces.
• Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Butter and flour seven mini pudding tins (about 200ml each) and sit them on a baking sheet.
• Heat oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4.
• While the dates are soaking make the puddings.
• Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until creamy, but it will be slightly grainy because of the sugar.
• Add the eggs a little at a time.
• Beat in the black treacle.
• Using a metal spoon, gently fold in a third of the flour, then half the milk. Repeat until all flour and milk is used.
• Stir in the dates.
• The mixture may look a bit curdled, but should be like a soft thick batter.
• Spoon evenly into prepared tins.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and firm.
• Meanwhile make the sauce.
• Put the sugar and butter in a medium saucepan with half the cream.
• Bring to the boil over a medium heat stirring all the time until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Stir in the black treacle.
• Turn up the heat slightly and let the mixture bubble away for 2-3 minutes until it is rich toffee colour. Stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.
• Take the pan off the heat and beat in the rest of the cream.
• Remove puddings from the oven.
• Leave them for a couple of minutes and then turn them out.
• You can serve them now with the sauce poured over, but they get even stickier if you keep them for a day or two covered in sauce.
• Put half the sauce in a serving dish, stand the puddings in there, and pour over the rest of the sauce.
• To serve, heat them in the oven (preheated as above) covered with foil,until they are hot, about 15 minutes.
• Serve on their own, or with cream or custard.
• Can also be frozen -- mine didn't last that long!

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/4 cups of the heavy cream, the sugar, corn syrup and butter. Cook, stirring often, until a dark amber color, about 40 minutes. Carefully add the remaining 1 1/4 cups heavy cream. IT WILL BUBBLE UP AND IT IS HOT!
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease seven 1/2 cup ramekins and set aside.
• Combine the dates and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and cook until the dates are softened, about 15 minutes. Puree in a blender and cool. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, zest and date puree. Stir in the dry ingredients. Divide into the prepared ramekins and bake about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and remove the cakes from the ramekins. Slice the cakes in half horizontally. Rinse out the ramekins. Pour a little toffee sauce in the bottom of the ramekins and top with the bottom layer of the cake. Add more toffee sauce, place the top cake layer on top and cover with more sauce. Heat slightly before serving invert onto plate and yes ...cover with more sauce. Serve with whipped cream.

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.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Chop the dates into small pieces, put in a small bowl then pour over 175ml boiling water. Leave to cool, about 30 mins. Oil (using the ½ tsp oil) then flour 7 x 200ml pudding tins (tapping out excess flour). Sit them on a baking sheet.
• Stir the vanilla and treacle into the dates, and mash with a fork to a rough purée.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the puddings, beat the eggs in a small bowl. Mix the bicarbonate of soda and 175g flour together. Stir the 75ml oil and demerara sugar together in a larger bowl, using a wooden spoon. Pour in the eggs a bit at a time, beating as you go. Gently fold in one-third of the flour with a large metal spoon, then half the yogurt. Don't overmix. Repeat, finishing with the last of the flour. Gently stir the mashed dates in to a thick batter. Spoon evenly between the tins. Bake for 20-25 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put the muscovado sugar and butter into a small heavy-based pan. Heat over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar starts to dissolve, without bringing to the boil or it may burn. The mixture will be quite thick, like fudge, and the sugar won't dissolve completely at this stage. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in the black treacle and vanilla. Cool for 1-2 mins, then stir in the crème fraîche a spoonful at a time, so it incorporates smoothly into the mixture. If it's a bit lumpy, use a small wire whisk to break them up.
• To serve, loosen around the sides of the puddings with a round-bladed knife, then turn out onto plates. Spoon a little sauce over each one and finish with a drizzle of it on the plate. Puddings and sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead.

ULTIMATE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Butter 8-inch-square pan (preferably a glass pan; not dark.) Mix flour and baking powder and set aside. Place chopped dates in small microwavable bowl. Pour 1 cup hot water over dates and microwave for 2 minutes, then 30 second intervals until they are mushy and jammy. Set aside to cool.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend; scrape bowl down often with a rubber spatula.
• Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the bowl.
• Add half of flour and baking powder and beat to blend.
• Add remaining 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition.
• Continue scraping down sides of bowl, often.
• Add remaining flour and beat until blended.
• Combine instant coffee and baking soda in small bowl. Pour into date mixture, stirring to dissolve coffee granules. It will froth slightly.
• Add date mixture to batter and beat to blend.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
• Let the cake cool in the pan. After it has cooled, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer or toothpick.
• To make caramel sauce, bring cream, brown sugar and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When cake is cool and caramel sauce is still warm, but not too hot, pour the sauce over the cake.
• Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, without covering. After an hour or so, when the sauce has become firm, cover the dessert with cling film (once cool the plastic won't stick to it.).
• When serving, cut a piece and heat in microwave until the caramel melts; the dessert should be hot and steaming. Serve with freshly whipped cream.