Fezziwig's Sticky Toffee Pudding

We are taking a deep breath from the latest and greatest Fezziwig Festival to date. This year we continued to move closer to an authentic 1840's experience that even Charles Dickens would be proud of. One of the biggest hits at the food stations was an English-style sticky toffee pudding which is really a cross between a pudding and a cake topped with a delicious caramel sauce. The phones are ringing every day with requests for the recipe, so Chef Heidi agreed to share it just in time for the holidays.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

1 cup + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour          1 tsp baking powder

¾ cup pitted dates                                   1 ¼ cups boiling water

1 tsp baking soda                                      ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar                           1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla                                               3/4 Tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg                                         1/4 tsp cloves

Toffee Sauce:

½ cup unsalted butter                            ½ cup heavy cream

1 cup packed light brown sugar            1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a ten-inch round or square baking dish. Sift baking powder and flour and set aside. Chop dates finely and put in a small bowl. Add boiling water and soda to dates and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Gradually beat into flour mixture. Add date mix to the batter and fold in with a rubber spatula until blended.  Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake until pudding is set and firm on top, about 35 minutes then set aside on a wire rack.

For the sauce: Combine butter, ½ cup heavy cream and brown sugar in a small, heavy saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil gently over medium low heat until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Preheat broiler. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce over pudding and spread evenly. Place pudding under broiler until the top bubbles, about 1 minute. Spoon into dessert bowls, drizzle with toffee sauce and top with a dollop of whipped cream and serve immediately.