STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING / a British dessert

the British dessert, Sticky Toffee Pudding

moist, cake-like squares

cake bakes in the oven, then toffee

topping cooks on the cake under the broiler

INGREDIENTS:

Cake-

3/4 cup chopped, pitted dates

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 cups boiling water

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup Earth Balance

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Sauce-

3 Tbsp. Earth Balance

5 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. almond milk

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the dates, soda, vanilla and boiling water.  Set aside.

Beat the sugar and Earth Balance nil fluffy.  Add the egg.

Sift the flour and baking powder, add to the butter mixture, beating well.  Add the date mixture, beating until smooth..  Turn into a buttered 8 x 6 inch baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, remove to a wire rack.  Heat the broiler and prepare the sauce.

Combine the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan.  Heat and simmer 3 minutes, until thickened.

the before sauce, pale

toffee color developing after only 3 minutes

Pour the sauce slowly over the top of the cake and broil approximately 4-5 inches from the heat for 2-4 minutes, watching carefully.  

Serve warm or room temperature.  Serve plain or with whipped cream.

the dates make this an extra moist dessert