English Pudding

I had sticky toffee pudding during my one little trip to London a few years ago. This year I was determined to have it again for the holidays. I found a place online, the English Pudding Company and found that the Amish Market is supposed to carry it. But they didn’t, so I’ve been planning to order one online. Dean and Deluca sells the same one on their site.

But then I bought the December issue of Bon Appetit, and they have a recipe for sticky toffee pudding. It’s very similar to the date cake with a broiled caramel topping my mom’s mother used to make (and I made once, with great success). So why order it if it’s so easy to make? But I never got around to making it either. I still have time, but I figured I’d share the recipe, and the order info, so you’d have time to do it, too.

This is the recipe from Bon Appetit, but there are some variations on the Epicurious web site, too.

Make the sauce by combining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 6 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons light corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil for about 8 minutes, until the sauce is reduced to about 2 cups.

To make the cake, combine 2 cups chopped dates and 1 cup hot water in a saucepan and simmer about 5 minutes, until dates are soft. Cool, then stir in 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (in my grandma's recipe, you soak the dates in hot water). Sift 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and salt together (I do it onto wax paper, which makes it easier to get into the bowl of the stand mixer later), then beat a cup of brown sugar with 3/4 cup softened butter in a large bowl to blend well. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, then 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then dates (with liquid). Bake in a 13 x 9 inch pan lined with foil, then greased and floured, in a 350 oven for 30 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean). Then poke the cake full of holes with a toothpick and pour a cup of the caramel sauce over the top; bake until the topping bubbles, about 5 more minutes. Let cool to lukewarm, then serve with the rest of the sauce, reheated.