Nigella's Self Saucing Sticky Toffee Pudding

Not being a fan of dates, this is a dessert recipe I would have completely overlooked had it not been for my housemate's friend cooking this and me sampling the ample leftovers (makes enough for 6- 8). The dates take on a new identity and their texture creates the toffee chew of this pudding. It's a Nigella Lawson creation, so as you'd expect it's no holds barred on the sugar and butter, but the Muscovado sugar makes a lovely and inviting caramel coloured sponge. All cooked in one dish, create the cake batter first and the self saucing ingredients are assembled on top.

Ingredients

1/2 cup muscovado sugar

1 1/4 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

50 grams unsalted butter (melted)

1 1/2 cups chopped dates - could use less dates, 1 cup

for the sauce

1 cup muscovado sugar

30 grams unsalted butter (in little blobs)

2 cups boiling water

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius and butter a 6 cup capacity pudding dish.

Mix together the 1/2 cup of muscovado sugar with the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter, then pour this liquid over the sugar and flour, stirring by hand with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in the slithered dates and then scrape the sponge batter into your prepared dish, making it level and smooth.

Sprinkle over the 1 cup of sugar and dot with the little blobs of butter. Evenly pour over the boiling water and carefully transfer to the oven. Check after 45 minutes, though the pudding may need 5- 10 minutes more. The top should be springy and spongy and the boiling water, sugar and butter will have turned into a rich sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream.