Sticky Date Pudding (aka Sticky Toffee Pudding) has a British origin and is often served as the Christmas pudding. This pudding is basically a dense, but tender, sponge cake made with cooked dates. It’s really nothing more elaborate or complicated than that.
My version of this classic pudding starts with soaking the chopped dates in rum allowing them to absorb the flavour, then slowly simmering the dates in water to soften. The dates, the primary ingredient in the pudding, add sweetness and texture to the pudding without turning it into a heavy pudding. This pudding is subtly spiced with a blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
I like to make this pudding in small one-half cup size ramekins for a couple of reasons. First, I like the look of a small pudding on each plate and, second, this pudding freezes well and the ramekin-sized puddings are perfect for freezing individual servings.
Sticky Date Pudding is most commonly served warm with a decadently rich toffee sauce made with butter, dark brown sugar, and whipping cream. I add a dash of rum to the sauce to deepen the flavour. Add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or maple ice cream to really dress the pudding to the nines!
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce
Ingredients for Pudding:
7 oz (about 1 1/3 cups) pitted dates, coarsely chopped
¼ cup dark rum
1 cup water
1 1/8 tsp baking soda
¼ cup butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp grated orange rind
1½ tbsp pure maple syrup
1½ tsp vanilla
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp salt
Ingredients for Toffee Sauce:
¾ cup butter (no substitutes)
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
¾ cup whipping cream (35% M.F.)
2 tbsp rum
2 tsp vanilla
Method for Pudding:
In saucepan, pour rum over dates. Let stand 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the cup of water and bring the dates, rum, and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and boil, uncovered, gently for approximately 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat and add the baking soda. Stir well. Let mixture stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to loosely break up the dates.
Position oven rack in bottom third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
While date mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugars together in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange rind, maple syrup and vanilla.
Sift the dry ingredients together and incorporate into the creamed mixture just until they are completely blended. Stir in the date mixture.
Grease ten (10) ½-cup ramekins and place on rimmed baking sheet. Distribute the batter evenly between the ramekins, filling each no more than about 2/3 full. Smooth tops with knife. Bake for 25 minutes, or until pudding springs back to a light touch and a cake tester inserted into center of pudding comes out clean. Run tip of pare knife around each pudding to loosen any parts that may have stuck to ramekin. Turn puddings out on to individual serving plates. Serve warm with toffee sauce and, if desired, a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or maple ice cream.
Method for Toffee Sauce:
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the cream and reduce heat to simmer. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thick, about 6-8 minutes or so. Remove from heat and stir in the rum and vanilla. Serve warm over sticky date pudding. (Sauce will thicken as it starts to cool slightly).
Yield: 10 servings
NOTE 1: Pudding may also be baked in a greased (or parchment-lined) 9” baking pan for approximately 30-35 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of pudding comes out clean and pudding springs back to a light touch. Cut into squares and serve warm with the warm toffee sauce.
NOTE 2: This pudding freezes well so can be made ahead of when needed. Simply thaw at room temperature and reheat pudding for a few seconds in microwave.
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce
Ingredients
- 7 oz about 1 1/3 cups pitted dates, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup dark rum
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/8 tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup butter, softened at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp grated orange rind
- 1½ tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp salt
Ingredients for Toffee Sauce:
- ¾ cup butter (no substitutes)
- 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup whipping cream, 35% M.F.
- 2 tbsp rum
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Method for Pudding:
- In saucepan, pour rum over dates. Let stand 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the cup of water and bring the dates, rum, and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and boil, uncovered, gently for approximately 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat and add the baking soda. Stir well. Let mixture stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to loosely break up the dates.
- Position oven rack in bottom third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
- While date mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugars together in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange rind, maple syrup and vanilla.
- Sift the dry ingredients together and incorporate into the creamed mixture just until they are completely blended. Stir in the date mixture.
- Grease ten (10) ½-cup ramekins and place on rimmed baking sheet. Distribute the batter evenly between the ramekins, filling each no more than about 2/3 full. Smooth tops with knife. Bake for 25 minutes, or until pudding springs back to a light touch and a cake tester inserted into center of pudding comes out clean. Run tip of pare knife around each pudding to loosen any parts that may have stuck to ramekin. Turn puddings out on to individual serving plates. Serve warm with toffee sauce and, if desired, a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or maple ice cream.
Method for Toffee Sauce:
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the cream and reduce heat to simmer. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thick, about 6-8 minutes or so. Remove from heat and stir in the rum and vanilla. Serve warm over sticky date pudding. (Sauce will thicken as it starts to cool slightly).
Recipe Notes
Yield: 10 servings NOTE 1: Pudding may also be baked in a greased (or parchment-lined) 9” baking pan for approximately 30-35 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of pudding comes out clean and pudding springs back to a light touch. Cut into squares and serve warm with the warm toffee sauce. NOTE 2: This pudding freezes well so can be made ahead of when needed. Simply thaw at room temperature and reheat pudding for a few seconds in microwave.
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You may also enjoy these other pudding recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen:
Apple Maple Bread Pudding with Maple Liqueur Sauce
Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding with Toffee Sauce
Steamed Carrot Pudding
Steamed Cranberry Pudding with Eggnog Sauce
Blueberry Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Sauce
Plum Pudding with Brown Sugar Sauce
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