AUNT FRANS STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

AUNT FRANS STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH TOFFEE SAUCE image

Categories Dessert

Number Of Ingredients 17

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For Pudding
1 ¾ cups packed pitted dates (about 10 oz)
2 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all- purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
For Sauce:
1 ¾ sticks (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream

Steps:

Make Pudding: Preheat oven to 375 and butter and flour an 8 inch square baking pan (2 inches deep) Coarsely chop dates and in a 1 ½ to 2 quart saucepan simmer dates in water, uncovered. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda (Mixture will foam). Let mixture stand 20 minutes. While mixture is standing, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, ginger and salt. With an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition. Add date mixture and with a wooden spoon stir batter until just combined. Pour batter into baking pan and set pan in a larger baking pan. Add enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of smaller pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 40 minutes. Remove smaller pan from water bath and cool pudding to warm on a rack. Make sauce while pudding is cooling: In a 1 ½ to 2 quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and add brown sugar mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and stir in cream and vanilla. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool sauce to warm. Cut warm pudding into squares. Serve pudding with ice cream and warm sauce.