Chocolate Sticky Date Pudding With Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 250 g pitted dried dates (8.8 oz.)
• 1 1/4 cups cold water
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda or 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 125 g butter, chopped (4.4 oz.)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (or 1 cup and 2 tbsp. flour and 2 tsp. baking powder and 3/4 tsp. salt)
• 100 g dark chocolate, finely chopped (3.5 oz.)
• double cream, to serve (whipping cream, whipped, or beaten mascarpone to form a thick sauce)
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup cream
• 75 g butter, chopped (2.65 oz. or 16 tsp.)
• 1 tablespoon whiskey (optional)

Recipe

• 1 prepare pudding:.
• 2 preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (160 degrees celsius for convection oven; converts to 350 degrees f/320 f). grease a 20 cm round cake pan (8-inch cake pan). line base and side with baking paper (parchment paper).
• 3 combine dates and 1 1/4 cups cold water in a saucepan. bring to a boil over medium heat. remove from heat.
• 4 stir in bicarbonate of soda. stand for 15 minutes.
• 5 process date mixture until almost smooth.
• 6 place butter and sugar in a bowl. using an electric mixer, beat for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
• 7 beat in eggs, one at a time.
• 8 stir in flour, chocolate, and date mixture.
• 9 spread mixture into a prepared pan. bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• 10 prepare sauce:.
• 11 combine sugar, cream and butter in a small saucepan. stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.
• 12 increase heat to medium-high. bring to a boil.
• 13 reduce heat to medium. simmer for 4 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• 14 stir in whisky (if using).
• 15 serve cake with sauce and cream.