Image Copyright A.M. 2007
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Easy Sticky-Toffee Pudding
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Yield: Serves 6-8
Source: Nigella Lawson, author of Nigella Bites
Nigella's Comments:This draws on a the culinary technology of the surprise pudding – that amazing affair by which, on baking, a layer of sponge is formed,
under which evolves a thick and luscious sauce – while playing with the flavours of a traditional sticky-toffee pudding. True, if you're feeding 12 people you'll need to make two,
but given how almost provocatively easy it is, that's no big deal. I can see this stretching to 8, maybe even a little bit beyond, but I wouldn't want to ask much more of it... Better to have too much than give rise to even the slightest
tremor of ration-anxiety at the table. Never Knowingly Undercatered, that's me.
Amy's Comments: We made this recipe as part of "Pub Night" with my cooking club. SUPER easy and YUM! Jim didn't believe that
you actually poured the boiling water on TOP, but believe it, it's true! Sinful!! We served with homemade vanilla ice cream. YUM!
PS: The measurements in parenthesis are my notes. This recipe was written for British use and obviously we measure a little differently here
in the US! If you have a kitchen scale that does grams, that's the way to go. Otherwise, use my approximations and you'll be fine!
INGREDIENTS:
For the cake:
100 g dark muscovado sugar (a little more than 1/2 cup)
175 g self-raising flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
125 ml full-fat milk (a little more than 1/2 cup)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 g unsalted butter, melted (a little more than 3 Tbsp)
200 g chopped, rolled dates (about 1 1/3 cup)
For the sauce:
200 g dark muscovado sugar (about 1 cup, 2 tbsp)
approx. 25 g unsalted butter in little blobs (about 2 tbsp)
500 ml boiling water (a little more than 2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5 (375F) and butter a 1-1/2 litre capacity pudding dish.
- Combine the 100g dark muscovado sugar with the flour in a large bowl.
- Pour the milk into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring – just with a wooden spoon – to combine.
Fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared pudding dish. Don't worry if it doesn't look very full: it will do by the time it cooks.
- Sprinkle over the 200g dark muscovado sugar and dot with the butter. Pour over the boiling water (yes, really!) and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes, though you might find the pudding needs 5 or 10 minutes more.
The top of the pudding should be springy and spongy when it's cooked; underneath, the butter, dark muscovado sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche, double or single cream as you wish.
