Sticky Honey and Caramel Pudding

Warm, indulgent, sticky and sweet; honey has become a new tea-time treat. It is mouth-watering and flavoursome that is enjoyed by all so treat yourself with a magnificent pudding that has been created to spoil. Soft and delicate; runny and thick, this pudding is easy to make and does the trick. On a wet, cold winters day it will endeavour all your worries away, so here we go, the hints and tricks, to the wonderful Sticky Honey and Caramel Pudding that is way too hard to miss.

A sticky toffee pudding has become a common treat in restaurants and cafes where they invite you to pour warm custard over the smoking hot dessert however, I wanted to indulge these fans with something rare and invite them to explore the sensation of honey. The secret is to soak the dates in strong, warm tea instead of using hot water and bicarbonate of soda (although this is an alternative approach to this dessert). This leaves the dates more succulent and moist, enabling the pudding to own its title…STICKY! However, remember to strain the dates as it will be extremely difficult for the cake to bake and hold its shape due to the amount of moisture and liquid content. Using tea instead of hot water and bicarbonate of soda; the pudding takes a little longer in the oven and appears to concave in the middle. Don’t Panic! Turn the cake upside down and pour the hot, sticky caramel and honey sauce over the top so that it drizzles down with pure delight. Your dinner guests or loved ones will not even notice as they will be ‘digging’ in to the most irresistible dessert that will make them come back for more! Think of lava - it’s molten, hot, thick and full of life/colour. In this case, the honey and caramel sauce has the same effect, however it is more mouth-watering and luxurious rather than terrifying as by heating up the honey, double cream, unsalted butter and dark brown sugar – the mixture begins to boil rapidly; gradually turning into a sticky, light brown caramel foam. Warning! Children should not attempt to make this part of the recipe unless they have an adult supervising as this mixture is very hot and will burn skin very easily. Over a medium heat, make sure the mixture is stirred regularly, maintaining a thin but reduced quality. After two minutes, pour the sauce instantly over the sponge so that it seeps through like water into a sponge. Also, this makes sure that the sauce does not set in the pan but on the cake instead. If you need to leave the sauce to the side as you are waiting for the sponge to cook or you would like to keep the remaining sauce for ice-cream, just add a little double cream when it is over a medium heat and this will thin out your mixture. To store this sauce, keep refrigerated and dispose after a week.

Ingredients

Sponge

225g fresh dates, stoned

300ml tea (1 tea bag; 300ml hot water)

85g unsalted softened butter

170g caster sugar

2 large free-range eggs

170g self-raising flour

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp ovaltine

2 tbsp natural yoghurt

Honey Caramel Sauce

60ml honey

125ml double cream

110g unsalted butter, softened

165g dark brown sugar

Method

1.    Preheat oven at gas mark 4/180˚C/350˚F

2.    Put the dates in a bowl with the tea. Leave to stand for a couple of minutes to soften, then drain. Whiz the dates in a food processor until you have a puree.

3.    Meanwhile, cream your butter and sugar until pale using a wooden and add the eggs, flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and ovaltine. Mix together well then fold in the yoghurt and pureed dates. Pour into a buttered, ovenproof dish and bake in a preheated oven for 33 minutes.

4.    To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium sized heavy saucepan. Over a medium heat, whisk all ingredients together, until the butter is melted and texture is smooth. Continue to whisk until mixture comes to a full foaming boil.

5.    Stir occasionally while maintaining the boil for about 2 minutes for a medium, thick caramel.

N.B. Caramel will thicken considerably while cooling. It may be thinned down with cream.