sticky toffee pudding with creamy baileys ice cream

This amazing sticky toffee pudding was the dessert from my dinner to remember, I think it is best described in the words of my friend Gemma McCann who called it "The best dessert I've ever tasted"


Ingredients:

for sticky toffee pudding-

225g fresh dates stoned and finely chopped

rind of half a small orange

175g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda ( also called baking soda or bread soda depending on where you are)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp strong coffee

100ml milk

75g butter plus extra for greasing

150g golden caster sugar

2 eggs beaten just to combine

175ml boiling water

for butterscotch sauce

150g butter

150g granulated sugar

75g soft brown sugar

75g  demerara sugar (if not available just use another 75g of soft brown sugar)

300ml cream

squeeze of lemon juice

for baileys ice cream

570ml milk

450 ml double cream

125ml baileys

3 eggs

4 egg yolks

225g granulated sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

for sticky toffee toffee pudding

- preheat oven to 180c or 350f

-pour boiling water over the chopped dates and orange rind (if your dates are dried simmer in  a pan to soften) set aside to soak until the mixture is cool.

- sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. In a seperate bowl combine the vanilla extract and coffee with the milk.

- In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until its light and fluffy, slowly whisk in the eggs waiting until each addition is combined before adding more.

- fold the flour and flavoured milk into the egg mixture then stir in the date mixture including the water. 

- the consistency will be much runnier than a normal cake batter but dont worry its going to be delicious. Pour the mixture into a greased 8x10 cake tin or 6-8 individual moulds.

- Bake for roughly 35 minutes until the pudding is firm and starting to pull away from the sides. To check if its

cooked pierce the center of the cake with a wooden 

skewer, if it comes  away clean its cooked, turn the pudding out onto a wire rack.

For the butterscotch sauce:

- melt the butter and sugars in a pot over a medium heat until it reaches the caramel stage, should take about 10 minutes.

- add the cream and bring to the boil stirring well. Take off the heat and stir in a squeeze of lemon juice.

To get pudding ready for serving:

using a wooden skewer or fork pierce the pudding every inch or so then pour half the toffee sauce over the pudding allowing to soak into the pudding.

For baileys ice cream

- combine milk, cream and vanilla essence in a saucepan and over a medium heat bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes.

- In a bowl combine the eggs, yolks and sugar and beat til its pale and fluffy. Add 1 cup of the milk mixture into the egg mix and stir to combine.

- Add the egg mix into the rest of the heated milk mixture and cook over a low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. pour through a sieve back into the first bowl and  add the baileys. cover with plastic wrap and chill completly.

- Process the custard in your icecream maker or if you haven't got an ice cream maker put bowl in the freezer stirring every 15 minutes to preven ice crystals forming.

- Place ice cream in an airtight container and place in the freezer. make sure to take it out 10 minutes before serving.

To serve:

On a warmed plate place a hot slice of sticky toffee pudding, pour some of the butterscotch over the pudding and put a dollop of the ice cream on top. again i got my camera to take  pictures of everyone eating the results looked something like this.