Sticky Toffee Pudding Bars

  

 One of the most famous desserts here in the UK has to be Sticky Toffee Pudding. Basically it is a date cake, with a lucious sticky rich caramel like toffee topping. 

It is amazingly delicious! 

   

 One might argue that the cake itself is not all that bad for you . . . as it is chock full of dates . . . and dates are full of iron and fiber.  

 But alas . . . there's also a pretty healthy portion of butter in there too . . . so not exactly all that good for you, but as a once in a blue moon treat . . . they are quite, quite . . . ok. 

   

  

Well, it's more than ok actually . . . 

ITS FABULOUSLY DELICIOUSLY DECADENTLY OK!! 

Pardon my shouting . . . I lost control for a few seconds . . . ahem . . .

   

 

These are incredibly moist, moreish and TO - DIE - FOR . . . but don't take my word for it. 

 

Make them . . . NOW . . . seriously, I mean it! Would I lie about something like that??

    

You really do need to bake these. Trust me. You won't regret it. 

They are quite simply fabulous.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Bars

Yield: Makes about 18 bars

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 45 Min

These lovely little bars are incredibly moreish and moist. I bet you can't eat just one!

Ingredients

• 250g ( 1 1/3 cups) pitted dates, chopped roughly
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 215g unsalted butter, divided (a scant cup, 9/10 to be exact)
• 185g ( 1 1/2 cups) self raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 90 ml (1/3) cup milk, divided
• Frosting:
• 2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
• 90g (3/4 cup) sifted icing sugar
• 90g (3/4 cup) chopped toasted walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment baking paper. ( make sure it hangs well over two sides so that you can just lift the bars out to cut when finished)
2. Place the dates into a saucepan with 200 ml of water ( about 7 fluid ounces). Bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat and allow to  simmer for about 10 minutes, gently. Make sure the water doesn't completely evaporate. Add the baking soda, and set aside to cool.
3. Place 185g (8/10 of a cup) of the butter, the flour, vanilla, baking powder, eggs, and 75 ml (1/3 cup)of the milk into the bowl of a food processor and mix together in short bursts for 1 minutes, until well blended. Add the dates and pulse again to blend. Do not over process.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
5. To make the frosting combine the remaining butter, the brown sugar, and remaining milk into a small sauce pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Add the icing sugar and mix together well. Spread over the cooled cake mixture and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.
6. Cut into squares to serve.

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