11.15: say that five times fast

Sticky coffee toffee pudding! Sticky coffee toffee pudding! Sticky coffee toffee pudding! A bit of a tongue twister, isn’t it? Taking a quick break from LA vacation photos to tell you about this exciting bit of baking that I did last night. I don’t fancy much in the way of British foods, but sticky toffee pudding is something that I adore. I don’t know why I haven’t made this before, but now that I know how easy it is, I’m sure this will become a regular treat. Delicious!! Go make it NOW! (Sorry for the ALL CAPS. I am perhaps still hopped up on the sugar from the piece of sticky coffee toffee pudding I ate this morning for breakfast.)

Sticky Coffee-Toffee Pudding
Adapted from Marlena’s Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients
Sponge
* 5 oz pitted dates, diced
* 1 cup hot but not boiling water
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 oz butter at room temperature
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups self rising flour

Coffee-Toffee Sauce
* 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup strong coffee
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the Sponge
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare an 8″ square pan by first buttering, then lightly flouring the inside of the tin.
3. Place dates in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot water over them. Cover and leave to sit for at least 20 minutes. After sitting covered for 20 minutes, uncover and cool to room temperature. After cooling, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to date mixture.
4. Using a mixer, cream together the soft butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between until they are mixed in well.
6. Gradually add the flour and then the date mixture until it forms a thick batter.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until it is cooked through. A toothpick or chopstick inserted in the middle should come out clean, no crumbs adhering. Remove from oven and set aside.

Make the Sauce
1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the dark brown sugar with the white sugar, coffee and cream.
2. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently until the sugars melt and continue cooking, adjusting the heat lower and higher as needed, for about 5 to 8 minutes. If mixture boils up, reduce heat; if it stops bubbling, raise it. Sauce should be dark and slightly thick. Don’t be tempted to sample it without cooling as the sugars are so hot they will burn your tongue.
3. Remove from heat and with a wooden spoon stir in the butter, salt and vanilla, stirring until the butter melts and the sauce is glossy. Let cool to a warm-hot temperature.
4. Using a paring knife, make slits all over the top of cake and pour about half the warm/hot sauce over it. Leave the cake to marinate in the sauce for several hours, then pour the rest of the sauce over it. To serve, cut into small pieces. Cream fraiche or lightly whipped creme Chantilly are good with this, but to be honest, it doesn’t need anything else.

Serves 6-8 generously.