sticky toffee come dine with me

On Wednesday it was my turn to cook for Come Dine With Me.  I decided to keep it simple with a Thai Green Curry, with mango salad followed by Sticky Toffee Pudding.  I rang my mum up to get her amazing Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe, which is the beast I have ever tasted (honestly!). Anyway the evening was a success - especially the Sticky Toffee Pudding so I thought I should share the recipe with you...

Mum's Sticky Toffee Pudding (serves 6)

For the cake
2oz soft butter
6oz granulated sugar
8oz plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
6oz stoned dates
½ pint boiling water
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 180C/370F/Gas 4.

1.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
2.  Sift the flour and baking powder together.
3.  Beat the egg into the butter and sugar with a little of the flour (this prevents it from curdling).
4.  Beat the egg/sugar/butter mixture for 1 minute.
5.  Add the remaining flour and mix.
6.  Flour the dates and chop finely.
7.  Pour boiling water over the dates, add the bicarb of soda and vanilla essence.
8.  Add the date mixture to the flour and sugar and mix thoroughly.
9.  Line a geased 11" x 11" square cake tin (I used a loaf tin and it worked just fine)
10.  Pour the mixture into the tin.

Bake in the oven for aprox 40 mins - until the cake is firm and a skewer comes out clean.

For the sauce
7oz brown sugar
5oz butter
½ pint double cream

Melt the sugar, butter and cream in a pan, simmer for 5 mins.

Tip: I find the cake bit is always a bit stickier the next day.  I usually bake the cake the day before and put it into tupperware.  I can then slice of the ammount I need and microwave, whilst making some sauce.