Sticky Toffee Pudding

Prepare for a gooey sugar rush from the gods: Sticky Toffee Pudding!

This classic British cake-like dessert is served warm with toffee topping and ice cream on the side. Considering it's made of dates, you can practically claim that it's healthy. It contains fruit!

Ok, so maybe it's not healthy and maybe you don't really want to know how much butter is in it, but I promise this is a dessert worth bending your new year's resolution.

Ingredients:
1 cup & 1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup pitted dates
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Toffee Sauce:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 10-inch baking dish.
2. Sift flour and baking powder in bowl or in food processor to combine.
3. Chop dates fine. Place in a small bowl filled with boiling water and baking soda. Set aside to soak.
4. Blend butter and sugar in electric stand mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until blended and smooth.
6. Gradually blend in flour mixture.
7. Add date mixture to batter and fold with spatula until blended.
8. Pour into a baking dish.
9. Bake until pudding cake is tan, set, and firm on top (about 35 minutes).
10. Remove from oven to let cool.
11. Combine butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar in a small heavy saucepan.
12. Heat toffee until boiling while stirring constantly.
13. Reduce heat to medium low heat until mixture thickens (about 8 minutes).
14. Drizzle half of the toffee over the pudding cake and place under the broiler until the toffee bubbles. The porous cake will soak up most of the toffee and leave a slightly crisp layer, like creme brulee.

Serve with ice cream and the remaining toffee drizzled on top for a warm treat.

Rating of Difficulty: 3 out of 5. While you could mix the batter by hand, it is easier with the right tools. Also, if you've never made toffee on the stovetop before, it might take a little practice to thicken without burning. Go ahead and give it a try and tell me what you think.

What's your favorite gooey dessert? If you share your fav, I may just make it for next time!

Linked at: Simply Designing with Ashley, The Shabby Nest, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Life of Lakeshore Drive, The Dedicated House , Or So She Says , Mums Make Lists, Weekend Re-Treat at Best Blog Recipes, TGIF Link Party,