Apple and Date Sticky Pudding

Ingredients

Pudding

• 270g dates, pitted
• 1 tsp bi-carb soda
• 60g butter
• 170g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200g self raising flour
• ½ jar Beerenberg Apple Sauce
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 100g dates, seed removed

Apple Caramel Sauce

• 200g brown sugar
• ½ cup cream
• 130g butter
• ½ jar Beerenberg Apple Sauce
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C. 

Roughly chop 170g of the dates. Pour 300ml of water over the dates in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and add the bi-carb soda. Leave to stand.

Using a stick blender of stand-up mixer, cream the butter and sugar (it will be a smooth, creamy consistency). Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Fold in the flour so as not to over-mix. Stir in the date mixture, apple sauce and vanilla extract.

Pour mixture into a greased 23cm cake tin

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Test with a skewer in the centre (skewer should come out clean).

In the meantime, to make the sauce, place all ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes.

Remove the pudding from the oven and allow to cool a little before serving (but not completely). Turn out onto a large oven-proof serving plate. Pour a little of the sauce over the warm pudding and return to the oven for 3 minutes so the sauce soaks in and bubbles.
Serve with extra sauce, topped with additional dates and cream or ice cream.