Serves 8

Ingredients:
250 grams pitted dates - chopped
375 milliliters boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125 grams unsalted butter - at room
temperature, chopped
165 grams brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
300 grams - self raising flour,
sifted
Double cream to serve, if desired

Caramel Sauce
250 grams caster sugar
300 milliliters thickened cream

Method:
1 • Preheat oven to 180•C Fan Forced. Grease
and line base of a 7cm deep, 22cm (base)
round cake pan with baking paper
2 • Combine dates and boiling water in a
saucepan over medium heat and bring
boil. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes until
dates are soft and have almost absorbed
all the water. Remove from heat, stir in
the bicarbonate of soda. Set aside for
20 minutes to cool
3 • Using an electric mixer, beat the butter,
sugar and vanilla extract until pale and
creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Fold in the flour,
then the date mixture. Spoon mixture
into prepared pan.
4 • Bake pudding for 40 - 45 minutes or until
skewer inserted into the middle comes
out clean. Stand pudding in pan for
10 minutes, before turning out onto wire
rack
5 • For caramel sauce, pour the sugar into a
clean dry non-stick frying pan over
medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally
with a wooden spoon until the sugar
melts and turns deep golden. Remove pan
from the heat and pour in the cream
(sugar will crystallise). Return pan to
medium-high heat, cook stirring
constantly for 8 minutes to dissolve the
sugar. Boil gently, without stirring, for
5 minutes to thicken slightly.
6 • Cut warm pudding and place on
serving plates, pour over the sauce
and serve with extra cream if
desired.

Recipe is from Janelle Bloom

I made mine into individual size portions and baked for 20 - 25 minutes
(These will be part of a pooled dinner tonight amongst my neighbours)