Recipe: Karen Martini’s sticky date pudding

“My mother made the best sticky date pudding around, with lots of dates and lots of caramel sauce,” says Karen Martini. “This is her recipe, though I do always tinker …”

Ingredients
Serves eight

• 280 g (10 oz) pitted dates, cut in half
• 450 ml (15 fl oz) water
• 1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 90 g (3 oz/⅓ cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 225 g (8 oz/1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract or paste
• 3 eggs
• 250 g (9 oz/1⅔ cups) self-raising (self-rising) flour
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ice cream or thick (double/heavy) cream, to serve

Golden Syrup Butter Caramel Sauce

• 150 g (5½ oz/⅔ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
• 30 ml (1 fl oz) water
• 75 g (2½ oz) unsalted butter
• 120 g (4½ oz) soft brown sugar
• 100 g (3½ fl oz) golden syrup, or light treacle
• 350 ml (12 fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
• 1 teaspoon salt flakes

Method

1. To make the caramel sauce, heat the caster sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook to a medium caramel, about 8 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and stir the butter through. Stir in the brown sugar to combine, then the golden syrup, cream and salt, stirring after each addition.
3. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium–low and simmer until the caramel reaches 113°C (235°F).
4. Pour into a jug and cool a little before using. If the sauce is too thick, loosen with a little hot water.
5. The sauce can be made ahead of time, and reheated when required. It will keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.
6. To make the pudding, preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Grease a 30 × 25 cm (12 × 10 in) roasting tin and line with baking paper, or use a greased ceramic dish to serve directly at the table.
7. Combine the dates and water in a saucepan over a medium heat, bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir to break up the dates a little, then set aside.
8. Using an electric stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar on medium until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, whisking until combined.
9. Sift the flour, cinnamon and ginger into a large bowl, then fold into the butter mixture. Next, fold in the date mixture to just combine.
10. Pour the batter into the roasting tin or dish and bake for about 30–40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
11. Stand the pudding for 2 minutes, then pour half the caramel sauce over. Scoop out portions and serve with ice cream or cream, with the remaining sauce on the side.

This is an edited extract from Cook: Sweet by Karen Martini published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography: © Armelle Habib. Available in stores now including at great independent retailers such as Readings and Hill of Content.