Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce

It was one of the usual weekday nights. I got off work, and headed home for dinner. I was lounging on the bed, surfing the net and chatting with the Sister about random things while waiting for dinner to be ready. I forgot what we were talking about, but the subject of sticky date puddings arose. Then the Sister asked if I could make sticky date puddings cos she was craving for it suddenly. What she ask is what she get! Sticky date puddings it shall be...

Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce

Sticky gooey butterscotch sauce

It helped that I had Medjool dates in the house. I love dates - I use it quite often for my banana date chocolate loaf that I always make sure that I stock some in the house just in case I feel like having banana loaf.

The recipe is a winner for sure. It had a very soft and moist crumb (I actually underbaked them by mistake the first day, but the next day, when I heated up the leftovers in the oven for another additional 5-10 minutes, the texture was just perfect).

Moist innards

I think I may just have found the perfect recipe for when the cravings for sticky date pudding strikes. The previous recipe I've had in my recipe book is long overdue for an oust. The taste of this pudding is also much better than the previous one. There's no weird baking soda aftertaste (as some recipes do) and as I chopped the dates slightly bigger than how I normally do, there were actual bits of dates scattered throughout the pudding. Swoon. 

But the butterscotch sauce is just a tad too over...I'm not a big fan of overt sweetness in a dessert (unless we're talking about double chocolate chip cookies here...). I'll probably reduce the sugar level for the sauce when I make it the next time. Paired with the Sister's homemade honey sesame ice cream. Mmmmmmm.

I think love on a platter is quite possible actually.

Oooo my very first GIF image! This is way too fun. ;)

Sticky Date Pudding (adapted from Karen at Citrus and candy)
125g pitted dates, chopped
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup boiling water
80g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup self raising flour
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Place dates and baking soda in a bowl, pour over the boiling water and stand for 20 minutes.
Cream together the butter, vanilla and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat well. With a metal spoon or spatula, fold through the date water mixture and the flour until well combined.
Spoon into 7-8 muffin cups and bake for 30-35 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.
Cool in tin for five minutes before turning it out and cooling on a wire rack.

Butterscotch Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
150ml whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
30g salted butter

To make the butterscotch sauce, combine all the ingredients in a heavy based saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
When boiled, reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes until darkened and thickened.

To serve, prick the warm cake all over with a skewer and pour about a third of the butterscotch sauce all over the cake and allow to soak for ten minutes before serving.