Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

Ingredients

• 200g pitted dates, roughly chopped

  - 300ml boiling water

  - 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

  - 100g unsalted butter, softened

  - 175g soft light brown sugar

  - 2 large eggs

  - 175g self-raising flour

  - 1 tsp vanilla extract

  
  

  For the butterscotch sauce:

  - 100g unsalted butter

  - 100g soft light brown sugar

  
  

  - 150ml double cream

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Instructions

1. To start off, preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 20cm square baking tin. In a bowl, pour the boiling water over the chopped dates and add the bicarbonate of soda. Leave it to stand for about 10 minutes until the dates are soft.

2. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour. Stir in the date mixture and vanilla extract until well combined.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. While the pudding is baking, you can prepare the butterscotch sauce.

4. In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugar together over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cream and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.

5. Once the pudding is cooked, remove it from the oven and poke holes all over the top with a skewer. Pour half of the warm butterscotch sauce over the pudding, allowing it to seep into the holes.                                                    
6. Serve the Sticky Toffee Pudding warm with a generous drizzle of the remaining butterscotch sauce. Add a dollop of vanilla ice cream or a swirl of whipped cream for extra indulgence.