Stout Sticky Toffee Pudding
From my cookbook Bitter
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the sponge:
100g (31/2oz) butter, browned, plus extra for greasing
200g (7oz) Medjool dates, stones removed and torn into pieces
125ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) dark rum (I like Mount Gay) or boiling water
90g (31/2oz/scant 1/2 cup) dark muscovado (or soft dark brown) sugar
175g (6oz/generous 11/4 cups) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 medium eggs
75ml (3fl oz/1/3 cup) whole milk
1 tbsp treacle
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the caramel sauce:
250g (9oz) slightly salted butter
250g (9oz/11/4 cups) dark muscovado (or soft dark brown) sugar
500ml (17fl oz/2 cups) double cream
180ml (6fl oz/3/4 cup) London Porter — I know that this isn’t technically a stout, but please allow me the satisfaction of alliteration!
To serve:
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Equipment
6 dariole moulds or ramekins (about 220ml/8fl oz capacity)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas 6 and butter the dariole moulds or ramekins.
Add the dates and rum to a pan, bring to the boil then turn off the heat. Use a fork to mash the dates into a rough paste and set aside.
Whisk together the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, baking powder and salt) in a medium to large mixing bowl, using your hands to break up any lumps of sugar.
In a separate jug or bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (browned butter, eggs, milk, treacle, vanilla and mashed dates) then add these to the dry ingredients. Whisk just until you have a homogenous batter.
Divide the mixture equally among the dariole moulds, then bake in the oven for until an inserted skewer comes out clean, around 20–22 minutes. Allow to cool for around 5 minutes before slicing the domed tops off with a serrated knife. Release the cakes from the moulds and add to serving bowls.
Whilst the sponges are baking, make the caramel sauce. In a medium saucepan melt the butter and sugar together over a medium heat, whisking frequently as it starts to bubble. After around 3 minutes the sugar should have melted fully and the mixture will have thickened. Take the pan off the heat, allow to cool for a couple of minutes before whisking in the cream. Put the pan back on the heat and bubble away for 12 minutes, whisking the London Porter into the sauce a couple of minutes into this time. Cover and keep warm on the lowest heat until ready to serve. Serve the sticky toffee puddings in shallow bowls, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and covered in a generous quantity of the caramel sauce.
