By Chef Noah Barnes, Executive Chef at TabulaBeach
Ingredients
5 tbsp demerara sugar, for coating the moulds
200g pitted dates
½ tsp vanilla extract
50g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the moulds
175g dark muscovado sugar
1½ tsp golden syrup
1½ tsp black treacle
200g/7oz self-raising flour
2 free-range eggs
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the toffee sauce
500ml double cream
175g demerara sugar
175g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp black treacle
To serve
Vanilla ice cream
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190Celsius /375 Fahrenheit. Butter eight small pudding basins (dariole moulds) and sprinkle demerara sugar inside, coating evenly. Shake any excess sugar out of the moulds, and place them on a baking tray.
Place the dates with 250ml water into a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the vanilla extract into the date mixture.
Blend with a stick blender until the date mixture is thick and soupy. In a large bowl, beat the butter and muscovado sugar together until smooth. Stir in the syrup and treacle, then the flour, mixing well.
Break the eggs one at a time into the bowl, stirring well after each one.
Add the bicarbonate of soda to the date mixture, then pour into the flour mixture and beat well to blend.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pudding basins, filling those two-thirds full. Put the puddings into the oven immediately, and bake for 20 minutes until well-risen and springy to the touch.For the sauce, gently heat the cream in a saucepan. Add the sugar and butter and whisk until melted.
Whisk in the syrup and treacle. To serve, turn the pudding out onto a plate, spoon the sauce over the top and around, then finish with a dollop of ice cream.