Old Cape Brandy Pudding

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/2 lb dates, stoned and chopped up
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb. of soda)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 4 ounces butter (the real stuff)
• 7 ounces sugar, you can use caster sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 lb cake flour or 1/2 lb all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup brandy, good quality

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 deg f.
• 2 you need a large ovenproof pudding dish, or 2 pie plates. grease or spray with nonstick spray.
• 3 put the chopped dates in a bowl. add the baking soda, and pour over the boiling water.
• 4 stir to mix and leave to cool.
• 5 cream together the butter and sugar until creamy (i use caster sugar, which, being fine, creams more easily). add the beaten eggs and mix well.
• 6 sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt, then fold it into the creamed mixture.
• 7 stir in the date mixture, and then the nuts. fold in thoroughly.
• 8 ladle into your prepared dish or pie plates, and put into oven. the baking time is approximately 50 minutes, but will depend on the dishes used. test with a skewer, but a few crumbs will often adhere to the stick even when the pudding is done.
• 9 while it's baking, make the syrup.
• 10 heat the sugar, butter and water together, stirring, until sugar has melted almost completely. do not boil.
• 11 remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt and brandy.
• 12 when the pudding or pies come out of the oven, pour over the hot syrup. it will sink in slowly.
• 13 serve hot or cold with ice cream, whipped cream or custard.