I have made sticky toffee pudding for years. Ever since I had my first bite at a restaurant when I was young, this dessert has become one of my all-time favourites. The name is quite misleading though because sticky toffee pudding isn’t actually a pudding. Though the English may disagree! 😉 It is more like a muffin, or slice of cake! My sticky toffee pudding recipe is quite simple, with the hardest part being finding or making some pitted dates. I just purchase pre-made pitted dates, though if you do not have any you can certainly make them.
I am super happy to have finally had the time to post this recipe on the blog. I normally tend to make baked goods as opposed to desserts (though cookies for dessert is perfectly acceptable). However, I find that around the holidays, I like to make more indulgent desserts (but I still make cookies lol). In any case, my sticky toffee pudding recipe is going to be a hit no matter what time of the year you make it.
HOLIDAY DESSERTS
It’s totally okay to make and consume more indulgent desserts during the wintertime because calories don’t exist (right?). Plus, as a Canadian, in our harsh winter’s, we really need the extra padding. I love this dessert in particular because the “pudding” part is filled with warm spices and then a generous drizzle of salted caramel (the toffee) sauce is poured on top. I also serve my sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. You can find the recipe here!
Finally, most sticky toffee pudding recipe’s bake the entire pudding in a loaf, bundt or cake pan. You can certainly do that (though for my recipe it would only fill one 9-inch or 6-inch cake pan), I find making individual servings works better. That way you can plate them per person, and if you have any leftovers you can easily freeze them and reheat them when needed!
STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING
sweet dates. warm spices. toffee sauce. ice cream
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Date cake with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce on top, served warm with ice cream!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1 cup boiling hot water (it must be boiling hot!)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1 pinch each cloves & nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cupa all-purpose flour
Toffee Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/3 cup full cream (35% / whipping cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp maldon salt
- 1 tsp bourbon (optional)
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place pitted dates in a small bowl, add hot water and baking soda and stir. Allow the mixture to soak for 5 - 10 minutes, to allow the dates to soften up. Either using a stand mixer (with the whip attachment) or a food processor, pulse the date mixture until smooth and paste-like.
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In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and combine. Next, add the vanilla and date mixture. Scrape down the sides as needed. To this mixture, you will then add the spices, including the salt, stir to mix the spices and then add the flour. Careful not to over mix.
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Line a muffin pan with liners and spoon the batter into the liners about 2/3 of the way. They won't rise much so it is okay if they are filled a little over 2/3 of the way. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the puddings comes out clean.
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Remove from oven and transfer onto a wire rack. While the puddings are cooking prepare the toffee mixture. Spoon the hot toffee mixture over the warm puddings and serve immediately with ice cream.
Let the puddings cool completely, wrap in saran wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to two weeks. Defrost in microwave for 30-40 seconds.
Toffee Sauce
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Bring sugars, cream, and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. The mixture will begin to bubble up and thicken. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon and vanilla. Drizzle it on top of the toffee pudding. Place unused toffee sauce in the fridge, reheating it in the microwave for 30 seconds, as needed.
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THESE GUYS DO NOT LAST LONG IN MY HOUSE AND THEY PROBABLY WON’T IN YOURS. THEY DON’T TAKE LONG TO MAKE AND THEY FREEZE SO EASILY THAT YOU CAN PRE-MAKE THESE EVEN A WEEK IN ADVANCE. I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY AND A GREAT NEW YEAR!
