Sticky toffee pudding has become one of the British classics along with jam roly poly and treacle sponge and it’s hard to believe it’s a fairly recent creation, dating back to the 1970s.
There is some confusion over its origins but the strongest contender is chef Francis Coulson from the Sharrow Bay Hotel in the Lake District.
I have read that the recipe is so highly regarded that it is kept in a locked vault in the hotel and that chefs have to sign a secrecy agreement before they are allowed to use it!
The dessert has become so popular that one person paid £32,000 to charity in order to make the pudding with the pastry chef at the hotel.
Whatever its origins it is a truly delicious dessert and our recipe below is easy to make, we would always recommend that you cook individual puddings as they look much nicer and, of course ,serve with lots of butterscotch sauce and a big scoop of ice cream!
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Recipe (serves 8)
Pudding
160 grams demerara sugar
130 grams of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
250 grams of self raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
300 mls of water
200 grams of dried dates
50 grams of currants
50 grams of sultanas
100 grams of walnuts
2 table spoons of bicarbonate of soda
Butter scotch sauce
52 grams unsalted butter
190 grams of dark brown sugar
175ml of cream
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of salt
In a pan boil the sugar and the butter and then add in the other ingredients and stir, be very careful as the contents have a tendency to spit!
In large saucepan add the 300mls of water and the fruit and nuts and bring to the boil, when the mixture is boiling add in the bicarbonate of soda, meanwhile in a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar and then add the vanilla and egg beat until smooth. Sift in the flour and baking powder and combine.
When the mixture is thoroughly combined add it to the fruit and nut mix and stir, then pour into greased ramekins and bake in a pre- heated oven 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes, check with a cake skewer that the mixture is cooked in the middle.
To serve remove the pudding from the ramekin and place on a plate, pour over the hot butterscotch sauce and add a scoop of ice cream.
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