I have been waiting to make this one since my early days of Puff School. A true British bake, sticky toffee pudding evokes many memories of cosy evenings sat by the fire at my parent’s house. It was also the dessert at my wedding, so it really has special memories for me, and I’m amazed I’ve never thought of making it before.
Sticky toffee pudding is a dense date loaf, with a rich caramel sauce poured over the top. It’s normally served warm (I couldn’t imagine it cold) and is a real hug in a bowl. The pudding is actually a traditional bake from where I grew up in The Lake District and is something I usually try and eat when I go back. It’s rich and sweet, and decadent but simple, honestly, if you like toffee or caramel, you’ll love this.
The recipe was relatively simple to knock up, the date loaf coming together in around 10 minutes. I had to simmer, then blitz the dates, and it wasn’t the most appetising sight or smell, but when that changed when it came out of the oven when it filled the whole house with warmth.
The sauce was sinfully good. Sinful due to over half a litre of cream, and a ludicrous amount of butter and sugar. It was a similar recipe to the troublesome sauce from the opera cake a few days ago, so I knew what to expect. I’m still doing something wrong as it didn’t set when cooled, but I wasn’t too concerned as I needed it warm and thin, fit for drizzling over the steaming pudding.
Sticky Toffee pudding is so rich that it absolutely needs something else with it to break up the taste. Luckily, I had some walnut and caramel ice cream in the freezer, and let me tell you, this was an a match made in heaven. It tasted so good, and I’m really happy I finally got round to making it. The recipe made so much that I’ve got the freezer stocked with sticky toffee pudding to see us through the rest of the winter – almost as good as trip home!
New Day, New Thing 