Desserts: Jan Forrester's Sticky Date & Walnut Pudding

By JoFClark

Ingredients

• 3 ozs (90g) butter, softened plus extra for greasing
• 5 ozs (150 g) muscavado sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 T coffee essence
• 6 ozs (175 g) self-rising flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 6 ozs (174 g) stoned dates, coarsely chopped
• 3 ozs (90 g) walnuts, roughly chopped
• 6 ozs (175 ml) hot water
• Toffee Sauce
• 4 ozs (125 g)
• 6 ozs ( 175 g) light muscavado sugar
• 6 T double cream
• 2 ozs (60 g) walnuts, roughly chopped
• Deep 7" (18 cm) square cake tin

Preparation

Step 1

1 Butter the cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment
2 Put the butter, sugar, eggs, coffee essence, flour and baking powder into a large bowl
Beat well until smooth and thoroughly mixed
3 Stir in dates and walnuts, then the measured hot water
Pour the mixture into the tin
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees (180 degrees centigrade, gas 4) for 45-50 minutes until the pudding is well risen, browned otop and springy to the touch
5 About 10 minutes before the pudding is ready, make the toffee sauce
Put the butter and sugar into a small saucepan, heat gently, stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar is dissolved
Stir in the cream and walnuts and beat gently, to warm through
6) Cut the pudding into 8 even sized squares and transfer to serving plates
Spoon the toffee sauce and serve alt once