Decadent Sticky Date Pudding

Image by Chris Mejorada for CPI Publishing

I have no clue why but I'm not the happiest bunny today.. It's one of those days where I just want to be splattered on the couch, eat, watch TV and go in and out of sleep.. But the best remedy for a day like that is something sweet :) I was going to munch on some Duplo chocolate but then decided to post this recipe which was my dessert feature for BBC Good Food's Ramadan issue.. And now after seeing the pic of my beautiful treat I decided to actually make myself sticky date pudding for dinner - that should put the smile right back on my face ;) xx

Serves 6 – 8

• 250g dates, de-seeded
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup milk
• 4 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp honey

For the sauce:

• 250ml cooking cream
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Vanilla ice cream and toasted nuts for garnish

Preheat oven to 180C. In a small bowl, combine the dates with a little hot water and let them soak before blending them in a food processor into a paste. 

In another bowl, mix the butter, honey and sugar until smooth and add one egg at a time mixing well. Fold in the date paste until smooth, then alternate adding the flour (mixed with salt, baking powder and soda) and milk until well combined but not over mixed. Pour into a cake tin and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat the cooking cream, butter, sugar and salt. Simmer on low heat until it thickens, for a few minutes or so.

Place a 2 slices of date cake on a plate, drizzle with sauce, add the ice cream and sprinkle with nuts. Delicious!

(As featured in BBC Good Food ME - August 2011)