Sticky Date Pudding

ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup self-raising flour
• 1 and 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 205g Unsalted butter, room temperature (80g for pudding, 125g for sauce)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 300ml Orange Juice
• 1 Tsp Bi-carb soda
• 1/2 Tsp Vanilla essence

method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced.
2. Using a small pot, over high heat, Bring dates and orange juice to a boil for 3 minutes. Stir in the bi-carb soda and cook for another 2 minutes (This will puff up, so you'll need to be using a deep pot, not a pan)
3. Remove from heat and begin to squish the dates using a spoon in the pot, so they become smaller pieces(they should basically fall apart by this point).
4. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 80g of butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar together until light and creamy.
5. Add in eggs and beat until mixed through. Add the date mixture, vanilla essence and then begin to fold in the flour.
6. Mix thoroughly, to ensure that there is no floury bits!
7. Using a muffin tin lined with baking cups, spoon mixture in 3/4 of the way up (they will rise!)
8. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until super golden and cooked through. Use a skewer and poke in the middle of the pudding, if it comes out dirty, it needs more time!
9. In another small pot, add 1 cup of brown sugar, 125g of butter and 1/3 cup of heavy cream and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 -3 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to thicken for 5 minutes before serving.
10. Top the pudding with the cream and the caramel sauce!