So what do you do when someone hands you a bag of ingredients and a recipe, and the title of the recipe is “Sticky Toffee Pudding“…?
Hmm, let me see.
You think about it for approximately a millisecond, then you go forth and create some sticky toffee goodness, that’s exactly what you do. This is no time for fooling around, April-induced or otherwise.
Sticky spoonful
The bag of raw materials had come to me by way of my sister-in-law. She had procured the ingredients at the request of her daughter, who made this pudding for her folks at Christmas-time. After Christmas, the daughter returned from whence she had come, but some of the leftover ingredients, including not one, but two kinds of muscovado sugar remained. I expressed an interest in the remnants and so the remaining sticky toffee wherewithal made its way to me. And from me to you, ‘cos that’s the kind of girl I am.
There remains little else to say, except that, while you can certainly substitute other unrefined brown sugars for either the light or dark muscovado, they do lend a nice treacly note, particularly so in the toffee sauce. But do play around with it. You’re allowed to, you know.
And, finally, apropos of nothing much in particular, if you’ve ever wondered just how things look on my side of the Internet, you can take a looksee at where it mostly all happens here…
Sticky Toffee Pudding
I have no idea where this particular version of the recipe originated from, other than my niece, though it’s similar to many sticky toffee pudding formulae out there on the Interweb. In any event, I ended up tweaking it slightly myself anyway, like putting kahlúa in the toffee sauce. I did like that particular tweak very much…
In terms of general approach, Jenni would be proud of me for recognising the cake bit as an example of the creaming method and also, I think, for adding a touch of salt where there was none.
The Summary:
- Makes around 8 portions of sticky toffeeness & takes approx. 35 min to prep + 25 min to bake
For the cakey bit:
- 200g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 150g pitted dates
- 250ml water
- 2 tblsp golden syrup
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 75g unsalted butter
- 125g light muscovado sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the sauce bit:
- 125g unsalted butter
- 125g dark muscovado sugar
- pinch of salt
- 180ml double cream
- 50 ml kahlúa (optional but lovely)
You’ll also need:
- Baking tin – mine was about 26cm by 18cm and about 3cm deep. I feared the mixture might overflow the confines of this tin but it contained the mixture perfectly.
The Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 180C and grease the baking tin well.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together well and set aside.
- Ensure all stones are removed from the dates, then chop them and place in a small saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the golden syrup. Stir well to combine.
- Add the bicarbonate of soda – the mixture will froth up.
- Cream the butter until light and fluffy, then add the light muscovado sugar and cream together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat well to combine, then stir in the vanilla.
- Add half the flour and mix to combine. Then add the date mixture in 2 lots, stir to combine and finally mix in the rest of the flour until just combined.
- Scrape the mixture into the tin and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out fairly clean.
- To make the sauce, place the butter, dark muscovado sugar and salt in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring often as the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
- Add the cream and (if using) kahlua, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously and allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
- Serve warm slices of the pudding, spooned over with the warm toffee sauce.
The Variations:
- Try stirring some kahlúa-soaked golden sultanas into the batter (as per the recipe for Bahlúa Bread).
- You could try using molasses or dark treacle instead of golden syrup in the cake. Different taste but equally nice I would think.
- I imagine that some ginger would work well in this – say about a teaspoon of dried ginger added to the flour or (as David Lebovitz did in his version), some chopped crystallised ginger stirred into the cake batter at the end.
STP is one of my absolute favorite desserts! OMG now I must have it again!
Oh dear me, that looks like heaven. The sauce is just gorgeous too. I agree about the ginger, that would very nice indeed.
I am DYING to start baking with Kahlua- keep forgetting to buy it when I’m at the shops!. Your pudding looks delicious.
Beautiful! I have to try this. Muscovado sugar (called mascavo here in Brazil)is the only type of brown sugar I have available to me here. It took me a while to get used to it in my standard recipes, but the fact that it is unrefined helps me to accept its differences a little more easily. :)
I’ve never ha STP but I had ice cream once that was called STP. I’ve been intrigued with it ever since. This looks delicious!
noble pig: it was actually my first time to make it – not my last though, not by a long shot!
Diva: yeah, definitely with the ginger I think, that’s what I thought at the first spoonful – though I will freely admit that I’m a sucker for ginger in almost anything :)
Mary Bakes: kahlua in cakes/sauces was a great discovery for me – try it anywhere you might use rum or vanilla or coffee flavouring, it’s got elements of all three
Lori: that’s interesting – I imagine it would take a bit of getting used to if muscovado were the only type of sugar available; hope you get to try this one!
megan: well, the toffee sauce alone would be lovely with vanilla ice cream – I’m certainly going to try that one myself, especially as the toffee sauce part is so delightfully easy :)
Oh, dear; oh, dear! What are you trying to do to me? I love Sticky Toffee Pudding a Very Lot! Like Megan said, there’s a Haagen Daas (sp?–who knows? It’s a made up word anyway) STP flavor that some lady invented for a Food Network new ice cream flavor contest. Personally, I don’t think it’s as good as it could have been (the cake needs salt;), but whatever :)
We made one at the restaurant and poured stout toffee sauce over the top and served it w/vanilla malt ice cream. If you’d like the skinny on the stout toffee, I’m happy to share, although your toffee sauce sounds wonderful, too.
I don’t know why I’ve never had sticky toffee pudding – it looks heavenly! I must try it very very soon!
Now this is a special treat! I had to stumble it! GREG
That look so decadent. I must try some of that. Yummy!
Add me to the list of ‘never had STP but will correct this shortcoming immediately’! My mother insisted on sending us home with muscovado sugar from the Philippines – I was going to use it for coffee but toffee is so much better.
i’m not a big toffee fan, but even i could like this. yummy!
Mmmmm yumm! this is one of my favourite desserts when I have guests over and haven’t planned a dessert. Mine sauces itself, but I like that your sauce has cream in it. It looks delightfully caramelly.
Jenni: stout toffee sauce and vanilla malt ice cream? you’re speaking my language, I might have to try that…
Natasha: …and I have no doubt that you’ll put your own 5-star spin on it when you do :)
Greg: thank you sir, all stumbles much appreciated
jenn: do try!
Tangled Noodle: definitely try the muscovado for a toffee sauce, mmmm
Heather: you could always sneak a piece and see if you like it :)
Marc: the sauce is simple and delightful, I know for sure I’ll be making it again
Yum..this is defenitely a must try:)
Waaaaooow! I wish we could get brown sugar like the good old days, this one’s gonna have to wait till I can be smuggled some of the real stuff. Looks wonderful.
I love sticky toffee pudding and I cannot wait to try your recipe. I see I’ll have to switch to pants with elastic waists as well. =)
FYI – just to prove my point, the random word I had to type in below to post was tonnage – now that has to tell you something!
I’ve never had this but every time I see it I just drool and promise myself I’m going to make it. What a scrumptious treat.
I happened to make the mistake of telling my family about this and am now on the hook to recreate it using the Stout-Toffee sauce. I’m thrilled, yet terrified.
Looks incredible. And, I LOVE your desk:-)
W
Yum, yum, yum! Sounds decadent and that bite looks even better!
~ingrid
Zita: welcome & do try the pudding, or at least the toffee sauce :)
Chantal: thanks for dropping in and I wish you luck with getting hold of some good ol’ brown sugar for this!
OysterCulture: a tonnage of toffee pudding perhaps? then, yes, elastic waists are definitely advisable, lol
Reeni: I’ve eaten it plenty of times, but never actually made if for myself. Now I’m wondering what exactly I was waiting for!
Will: you can do it Will, myself & Jenni know you can!
ingrid: thanks for stopping by! the pudding is bit decadent alright, what with that unapologetically rich toffee sauce… but, hey, everyone needs a treat now and then :)
Show me one person who doesn’t like sticky toffee pudding and I will show the person who has been created by aliens specifically to fool us. When I worked at the restaurant it was our most popular dessert. It’s been a long time since I made one at home, though. I think I have to break out of that rut. Like, now!
Didn’t know there were dates in sticky toffee pudding. How delightful. How about we get a batch of that?
I have not made this either, but of course, I do not bake often either (or desserts)…this looks good to me though…
Oh, I figured out fu fu flour…finally right?
I don’t even know what to say about this. Except that it would all be gone in well less than a day if I were to make it at home. It looks incredible!
I first made S.T.P. after seeing James Martin rustle it up on his series “Sweet Baby James”. About time I tried it again…!
Yum! Not even the best chocolate can compare to sticky toffee pudding!
D’you know what, Spudness? I’m going to make this for dessert on Sunday. That is all.
Angry Brit: you are absolutely right, of course, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like sticky toffeeness – in fact, I’ll bet there are aliens out there who like it too!
Duo Dishes: yes, how about that? because the dates are cooked up a bit beforehand, I found that they just disappeared into the cake (and that was just shortly before it disappeared into my mouth!)
Chef E: it is good :) – and looking forward to hearing what you did with fufu flour – I still have some left!
Sapuche: yeah, it didn’t last long around here, that’s for sure
MGH: go for it, girl!
Maggie: I think you may be right there :)
English Mum: I am very glad to hear that EM, an excellent choice
That does look sticky, gooey, wonderful!
That’s exactly what I need know. I’m craving for such a yummy dessert.
This is good to eat on easter!! My mom loves food like this,….
This is great – I love the photography and the recipes look like a real recipe book. Definitely a keeper!
Sebastian
I enjoyed the look at your desk! It looks lovely and cozy (and enviably neat :)
Just made this and I have to say was a bit worried when I was stirring in the last batch of flour as it looked a bit lumpy. But it came out really, really well and the sauce is gorgeous. We all had seconds and scoffed the lot!! x
Joie de Vivre: Sticky? Check. Gooey? Check. Wonderful? Check!
zerrin: it’s worth craving for this :)
Sophie: it would be a lovely Easter-time (or anytime) treat
Sebastian: very kind of you to say so and thanks for stopping by
laura: thanks – and believe me, it isn’t always so enviably neat!
English Mum: Yay! I seem to recall having had the same lumpiness worries and then promptly forgot about them once I got some pud on my plate and into my mouth – and that sauce really is a winner. So glad you liked :)
Yum yum yum yum! Love the sticky toffee goodness
Must. Have. Toffee.
(*can’t breathe*)
Ruth E: thanks! and congrats on your recent 300th post, thats great going :)
lisha: emergency toffee services on the way!
This was so appealing I actually bought what I needed and made it. Pretty yum. I’d say 10 normal, 12 mean portions. Eight is just too American. The left over sauce ( what left over sauce) has kept fine in the fridge for a few days. Single portions heat in microwave in about 40 seconds. Next time I may try cooking the little cakes individually in muffin cases. Thanks for the recipe.
Louise
Hi Louise and thanks so much for the feedback! As to the portion size, I guess the pieces I was doling out were quite generous – I just couldn’t help myself :) I also think I’ll try the individual muffin case approach next time myself too, it would make for a nice presentation.
Oh.Hell.Yes! One of my favorites, thanks for the recipe – I can’t wait to try.
Hey Megan – enjoy!
Absolutely awesome recipe. I made it without the kahlua and in 6 separate muffin cases and it was amazing. Thanks!
Hey there, the_renus – thanks so much for the feedback, much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed!