Recipe: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Rum Caramel Sauce

The cakes can be made a few weeks ahead and frozen, just defrost at room temperature or heat in the oven. The caramel sauce can be made a week ahead and re-heated before serving.

Ingredients

Puddings:

• ¾ cup strongly brewed Earl Grey Tea, hot
• ½ lb medjool dates (about 12 dates), pitted and diced
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¾ cups dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Caramel sauce:

• ½ cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp white corn syrup
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp spiced rum
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Preparation

Puddings:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 6 cup mini bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the tea and dates in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using a wooden spoon, and then incorporate the eggs one at a time.

Using a potato masher, mash the soaked dates into a fine paste, mix in the vanilla extract, and fold into the butter and egg mixture. Fold in the flour mix until just combined.

Divide evenly between bundt pan cups bake for 20-30 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out with a few fudgy crumbs sticking to it, rotating pan halfway through.

Rum Caramel Sauce:

Place sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan and pour water around the edges of the sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 8-10 minutes, brushing the sides of the pan with water until caramel is dark golden brown.

Remove the pot from heat and add the cream, taking extra care as the caramel will steam. Whisk until smooth, and whisk in spiced rum and salt. Cool and store in the fridge until serving.