Sticky Toffee Pudding (small batch)

 

 

Today I am sharing a small batch version of one of Great Britain's most beloved and famous desserts.  Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Why should the smaller family, empty nesters, or singletons be left out from enjoying this incredibly rich and delicious dessert?  

And so today I small batched it to make four delicious servings.  Sticky Toffee Pudding is an infamous British dessert that is much beloved.  I first tasted it when I was holidaying in the Lakes/Cumbria area of England.  It was love at first bite for me! I had never tasted anything as rich and delicious as this fabulous pudding!

 

It is not a pudding in the North American sense of the word, but rather it is a very British Pudding composed of a light, brown sugar and date sponge cake, which has a rich and sweet sticky brown sugar/treacle toffee sauce poured over it as soon as it comes out of the oven, while it is still warm. This causes that sauce to soak into the warm cake.

It is then cut into portions to serve, again warm, with more of that lush toffee sauce spooned over top and often lashings of warm custard or heavy cream poured over top as well.   The whole thing is rich and unctuous and incredibly delicious.  A very naughty once-in-a-blue-moon treat that nobody should be denied!

Enjoy.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Just a few simple ingredients. It is so amazing that you can create something so delicious out of such simple things and in such a simple way!

 For the pudding:

• 1/3 cup (75g) medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup + 1 TBS (75ml) boiling water
• 3 TBS (45g) butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (60g) soft brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 TBS dark treacle or fancy molasses
• 3/4 cup (85g) plain all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• small pinch salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) full fat milk

For the sticky toffee sauce:

• 1/3 cup +1 TBS (87g) dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (35g) butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (double/whipping)
• 1/2 TBS dark treacle or fancy molasses

You can use an quality soft moist date. Just be sure to pit them.  I cut them into small pieces with kitchen scissors, cutting each date into quarters and then snipping the four quarters into even smaller bits.

I used salted butter, free range eggs, and whole milk.  If salt bothers you, you can leave out the pinch of salt required.  Do not skimp on the whole milk.  Free range eggs are a personal decision I make.

If I lived in the U.K. I would use light muscovado sugar. Unfortunately, it is not available here and so I used soft light brown sugar in the cake and dark brown sugar in the sauce.

Dark treacle is a bit stronger in flavor than fancy molasses, but there is not enough of it in this recipe to make using either one much of a difference.

 

HOW TO MAKE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Don't ever be intimidated by this pudding. It is really very simple to make.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and then gently reheated. They can also be frozen.  This will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days and can be made ahead of time and then just gently reheated to serve. (Cut into portions and reheat in the microwave for 35 to 40 seconds. Heat the sauce gently over low heat in a saucepan on the stove.)

First prepare the dates. Pit and chop them into small pieces. Place into a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. (170*C/325*F fan oven) Butter a 9 by 5-inch baking dish and set aside.

 

Cream the brown sugar and butter together for the cake, until light and creamy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the vanilla and treacle/molasses.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together in a small bowl.

Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring gently to combine, then add the remaining flour and the milk. Again, stir together just to combine.

Mash the dates together with the soaking liquid and then add the whole bunch to the cake batter, mixing it into the batter equally.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until firm on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Make the toffee sauce while the pudding is baking. Place the sugar, butter and half of the cream in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to the boil and the sugar has completely melted.

Stir in the treacle/molasses. Turn up the heat slightly and allow to bubble for two to three minutes until the mixture takes on a lovely brown toffee color. Stir occasionally so that it doesn't burn.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining cream. Put to one side and keep warm.

Remove the cooked sponge/cake from the oven and spoon half of the toffee sauce over top evenly.

Cut into four portions to serve, warm, with the additional sauce and cream or custard as desired.

 

This is such a delicious pudding/dessert.  Every time I make it I wonder why I don't make it more often, but then I taste it and remember.  Its dangerously delicious, rich and sweet.

This makes a beautiful once-in-a-blue-moon treat of a dessert.  I enjoyed with some of the toffee sauce spooned over top and lashings of double cream.  Oh boy . . .  this could get a girl into a lot of trouble!

 

Are you a fan of traditional British Puddings?  If so, you may also enjoy the following delightful offerings!  All delicious served with lashings of cream or custard! These are both small batch recipes.

EVE"S PUDDING - Also called Mother Eve's Pudding it consists of a layer of sweet eating apples baked beneath a Victoria Sponge layer of cake.  It is one of those simple apple desserts that everyone loves, and is much easier to make than say, an apple crisp, might be. Delicious and comforting.

BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING - A traditional English dessert recipe which is very basic.  Fragrant, and rich, with plenty of crispy butter bits on top, toasty and crunchy, along with a wobbly souffle like custard base. The addition of raisins is optional but very nice. (Especially if you soak them in rum first.) This is also delicious and very comforting.

Yield: 4 delicious servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Sticky Toffee Pudding (small batch)

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This is a small batch recipe of one of the most beloved of British Puddings/desserts. Prepare to fall in love. Serve warm with extra toffee sauce spooned over top and lashings of rich cream. (or custard!) This is a pure and simple comfort food dessert.

Ingredients

For the pudding:

• 1/3 cup (75g) medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup + 1 TBS (75ml) boiling water
• 3 TBS (45g) butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (60g) soft brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 TBS dark treacle or fancy molasses
• 3/4 cup (85g) plain all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• small pinch salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) full fat milk

For the sticky toffee sauce:

• 1/3 cup +1 TBS (87g) dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (35g) butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (double/whipping)
• 1/2 TBS dark treacle or fancy molasses

Instructions

1. First prepare the dates. Pit and chop them into small pieces. Place into a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. (170*C/325*F fan oven) Butter a 9 by 5-inch baking dish and set aside.
3. Cream the brown sugar and butter together for the cake, until light and creamy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the vanilla and treacle/molasses.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together in a small bowl.
5. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring gently to combine, then add the remaining flour and the milk. Again, stir together just to combine.
6. Mash the dates together with the soaking liquid and then add the whole bunch to the cake batter, mixing it into the batter equally.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until firm on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Make the toffee sauce while the pudding is baking. Place the sugar, butter and half of the cream in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to the boil and the sugar has completely melted.
9. Stir in the treacle/molasses. Turn up the heat slightly and allow to bubble for two to three minutes until the mixture takes on a lovely brown toffee color. Stir occasionally so that it doesn't burn.
10. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining cream. Put to one side and keep warm.
11. Remove the cooked sponge/cake from the oven and spoon half of the toffee sauce over top evenly.
12. Cut into four portions to serve, warm, with the additional sauce and cream or custard as desired.

Did you make this recipe?

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