Instruction

• Stone and chop the dates quite small, put them in a bowl, then pour the boiling water over
• Leave for about 30 mins until cool and well-soaked, then mash a bit with a fork
• Stir in the vanilla extract
• Butter and flour seven mini pudding tins (each about 200ml/7fl oz) and sit them on a baking sheet
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4
• While the dates are soaking, make the puddings
• Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and beat the eggs in a separate bowl
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl for a few mins until slightly creamy (the mixture will be grainy from the sugar)
• Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between additions
• Beat in the black treacle then, using a large metal spoon, gently fold in one-third of the flour, then half the milk, being careful not to overbeat
• Repeat until all the flour and milk is used
• Stir the soaked dates into the pudding batter
• The mix may look a little curdled at this point and will be like a soft, thick batter
• Spoon it evenly between the tins and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen and firm
• Meanwhile, put the sugar and butter for the sauce in a medium saucepan with half the cream
• Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the sugar has completely dissolved
• Stir in the black treacle, turn up the heat slightly and let the mixture bubble away for 2-3 mins until it is a rich toffee colour, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn
• Take the pan off the heat and beat in the rest of the cream
• Remove the puddings from the oven
• Leave in the tins for a few mins, then loosen them well from the sides of the tins with a small palette knife before turning them out
• You can serve them now with the sauce drizzled over, but they’ll be even stickier if left for a day or two coated in the sauce
• To do this, pour about half the sauce into one or two ovenproof serving dishes
• Sit the upturned puddings on the sauce, then pour the rest of the sauce over them
• Cover with a loose tent of foil so that the sauce doesn’t smudge (no need to chill)
• When ready to serve, heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4
• Warm the puddings through, still covered, for 15-20 mins or until the sauce is bubbling
• Serve them on their own, or with cream or custard