Dessert week is probably one of my favourite weeks. I would bake desserts every Sunday over lock-down, giving the whole family something to look forward to after dinner! The bakes on this week’s episode certainly got me salivating as well (I mean didn’t those showstoppers look absolutely delicious!). Although, I must admit, the technical was a disaster; I felt so bad for all the bakers! It was sad to see Saku go but with quarter finals right around the corner I can’t wait to see what the bakers are going to do next.
Using the inspiration of dessert week, I have also got a little creative and am sharing with you a sticky toffee pudding recipe with a little twist. This recipe is a little different to other sticky toffee puddings as it removes the sugar, making it perfect for anyone who may find the original dessert a little too sweet. However, there is no compromise on flavour or texture and it is still the perfect finale at the end of any meal.
Ingredients:
- 300g + 150g Dates
- 3 Eggs
- 100g Butter
- 50g Pecans
- 275g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ginger
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- 50g + 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 30g Butter
- 75ml Double Cream
- 1 tbsp Lucuma Powder (optional)
Methods:
- Preheat the oven to 160⁰C and grease and line a large baking dish.
- Weigh 300g of dates out in a bowl, add 150ml of boiling water and leave while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Crack the eggs into a cup and whisk until frothy.
- Gently melt the butter and add the dates and eggs and whisk together.
- Using a knife or a blender, chop up the pecans into small pieces.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl with the pecans and stir to combine.
- Sieve the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold them together until no flour remains.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and drizzle over 1 tbsp of maple syrup.
- Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
- Start preparing the sauce by adding 150g of dates to a bowl with 100ml of water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain the dates and add to a pan with the butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.
- Gently warm the ingredients until the butter has melted then place in a blender and whizz until smooth.
- Put the sauce back in the pan and stir through the cream and lucuma powder (if using).
- Heat the sauce until at the desired temperature for serving and then drizzle over each portion of sponge cake.