Sticking to an all time favourite

Chef's Delight

A WORD FROM THE CHEF

This is one of my all-time favourite desserts. This is such a gorgeous sweet light sponge using the Odlums Self Raising Flour. The toffee sauce is so sticky. I highly recommend serving it warm just out of the oven.

INGREDIENTS

150g butter, at room temperature

175g Odlums Self-Raising Flour, plus extra for dusting

175g Medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped

1tsp Odlums Baking Powder

175g light brown sugar

½ vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out

Two eggs, beaten

1tsp vanilla extract

Whipped cream or ice cream to serve

For the caramel

120g of sugar

200mls of fresh cream

Sea Salt

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the insides of a brownie tray or individual moulds if using, then lightly dust with a little flour, shaking out any excess. Set aside until needed.

Place the dates in a pan with 300ml water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the dates are soft. Add the baking powder to the date mixture, which will cause it to foam up, then set aside to cool a little. Place the date mixture in a food processor and blend for 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl.

Make the caramel by melting the sugar in a saucepan until golden and caramelised. Now add the cream and stir until well combined. You can add more cream if too thick. Season with some sea salt.

Meanwhile, cream the brown sugar, 150g of butter and the vanilla seeds together in a bowl for about 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add one tablespoon of the flour to the butter and sugar mixture, then slowly add the eggs and beat well to combine. Add the blended date mixture with the remaining flour and combine everything gently to give a smooth dropping consistency.

Pour the pudding batter into the prepared tray our moulds and arrange on a baking sheet, then bake for 30-35 minutes, until slightly risen and firm to the touch. To serve, leave the pudding to settle for a minute or two. Spoon over the toffee sauce. Add a scoop of cream or ice cream to each serving.

Cook Ahead

The pudding can be made up to two days in advance once it has been cooked and kept covered in the fridge until needed. To serve, just warm them through in the oven for about 10 minutes. This sauce will keep for two weeks in the fridge.

ABOUT THE CHEF

Adrian Martin from Bawnboy is a regular on our TV screens and an ambassador for Odlums. He runs the Mayflower restaurants in Dublin and Camden, London.