A First Date with Sticky Date Pudding

This dessert is perhaps the happiest ending to any meal in my opinion. If I see this iconic Australian 'after' on any cafe, bistro or restaurant menu, I just have to order it. Today, I have made this iconic dessert for the first time. This is my first proper date with Sticky Date Pudding. I have now earned at least one badge on my way to becoming a fair dinkum Australian.

This recipe is from Neil Perry's Good Food cookbook. I did not mess around when choosing this recipe - Neil Perry is a renowned Australian Chef whose brainchild is Rockpool, one of Australia's best restaurants. Neil Perry also heads up a team of six consultants who together develop Qantas Airways Business and First Class menus. As a chef, he is truly first class, and so too is this recipe.

Ingredients & Preparation:

Pudding:

230g (1 cup) fresh dates, pitted and chopped

250 ml (1 cup) water

1 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)

100g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

175g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

150g (2/3 cup) self-raising flour, sifted

Sauce:

500ml (2 1/2 cup) thick (double heavy) cream

110g (1/2 cup) Demerara Sugar

2 tbsp treacle or molasses (worst case scenario, use Golden Syrup)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a deep loaf tin and line the base and sides with parchment or waxed paper. Place the dates and water into a pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bicarb soda. The mixture will begin to bubble up. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Fold the flour and the date mixture alternatively into the butter mixture. I would recommend using the electric mixer to beat all ingredients together, only to further beat up the dates.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a toothpick or skewer.

To make the sauce, combine the cream, sugar and treacle in a small pan, stirring constantly over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.

To serve, turn the warm pudding out onto a platter and drizzle with half the sauce. Cut the pudding into thick slides or squares and serve with the remaining sauce and thick cream. If the pudding needs to be reheated, cover it with foil and place it in a 150 degrees oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. Microwaving is just as effective. Freezes well.

If you are using Ramekin dishes or a shallow pan, adjust cooking time accordingly, probably around 20 minutes.

Bon Appetit!