Sticky toffee pudding drenched in aromatic rum sauce and garnished with a Christmas tree-shaped ginger cookie is simple, festive and tastes totally decadent.
English Sticky Toffee Pudding
8 oz chopped pitted dates
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
3 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
n Divine Rum Sauce (recipe follows)
n Whipped cream and cookie, for garnish
In a small saucepan, place dates and water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes. Set aside.
In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add molasses and syrup and beat well.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture in three equal portions, mixing until smooth after each addition.
In a food processor, puree date mixture, stir in baking soda. Add to batter and mix until smooth.
Pour batter into well-greased muffin tins. Do not overfill; you want to avoid a “muffin top.” Bake at 350 F for 18 to 20 minutes. With this dessert, it’s better to err on the side of slightly under-baked rather than over-baked. They should be removed from the oven as soon as the centres are firm.
Top each serving with rum sauce and whipped cream. Garnish with a festive cookie.
Makes: 12 servings.
Divine Rum Sauce
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 oz rum (preferably dark)
In a large pot, melt brown sugar and butter together over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add cream in a slow stream (this will cause a bit of sputtering). Once cream is incorporated, stir in rum and return to a boil; cook for another 5 minutes, watching carefully to ensure sauce does not boil over. Serve warm and refrigerate any leftovers.
Source: TasteofNovaScotia.com.
