Easy Sticky-toffee Dessert

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup self-rising flour, plus
• 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup chopped rolled dates, plus
• 2 tablespoons chopped rolled dates (optional...i don't like dates, so i didn't use them)
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, in little blobs
• 2 1/4 cups boiling water

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°f and butter a 1 1/2-quart capacity baking dish (i used a combo of pam and butter and it worked fine).
• 2 combine the sugar with the flour in a large bowl.
• 3 pour the milk into a measuring cup, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted buter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring--just with a wooden spoon--to combine.
• 4 fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared baking dish.
• 5 *don't worry if it doesn't look very full: it will do by the time it cooks*.
• 6 sprinkle the sugar for the sauce over the batter and dot with the butter.
• 7 pour the boiling water over the whole thing (yes, really!) and transfer to the oven.
• 8 set timer for 45 minutes, though you might find the dessert needs 5 or 10 minutes more (this was a frustrating part, for whatever reason i ended up having to put it back in for almost 20 minutes-- but then it was very cake-like, remember that it thickens up when you take it out).
• 9 the top of the dessert should be springy and spongy when it's cooked; underneath, the butter, dark brown sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce.
• 10 serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche or heavy or light cream as you wish.