Sticky Date Pudding

It was a cold winter's day and I wanted a pudding for dessert. I said to hubby that it was time I learnt to make sticky date pudding. So I went on my merry way to find a recipe. This recipe is taken from Nigella's website, but I have amended it. I don't like my sticky date pudding being overly sweet. So I reduced the sugar, as well as the amount of boiling water.

This recipe is simple and very easy. I usually make the pudding batter a few hours before I need it. The only remaining cooking is the sauce bits.

Ingredients

Pudding:
½ cup dark brown sugar
1¼ cups self-raising flour
½ cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g unsalted butter (melted)
250g chopped dates


Pudding Sauce:
½ cup dark brown sugar
25g unsalted butter (in little blobs)
400ml boiling water

Method for Cake

Preheat the oven to 190°C and butter a large pudding dish.
Combine the dark brown sugar with the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared pudding dish.
Sprinkle over the ½ cup of dark brown sugar and dot with the butter. Pour over the boiling water and transfer to the oven.
Cook for 45 minutes or until cooked.
Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche, double or single cream.