Sticky Toffee Pudding with Chocolate Chips and Toffee Sauce               

 tags (edit): @Favorite @5 Star @Tried @Vogel Desserts  

 

Sticky toffee pudding, a luscious, rich cake served warm with a thick toffee sauce, is nothing new to Brits and Aussies, but has only recently begun to make itself known on our shores. This recipes takes tradition one step further, adding chopped bittersweet chocolate. The technique of soaking the dates in boiling water with baking soda may surprise you. In the brief soak, the dates melt into marvelous sweet, sticky bits that then get stirred into the batter.

Ingredients

SAUCE
1 1/2 cups Dark Brown Sugar no substitutions
1 stick Salted Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
PUDDING
6 ounces Dates pitted
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 cup Water Boiling
3/4 stick Salted Butter at room temperature
3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 ea Large Eggs beaten
1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoon Baking Powder
7 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate coarsely chopped
2 teaspoon Espresso Powder (optional)
Creme Fraiche (optional) for garnish
Strawberries (optional) for garnish
 

Instructions
 Preheat oven to 350 and a rack in the middle of the oven with another rack below it. Put a cookie sheet on the lower rack (to catch any drips).

Butter a 9" round (with 2 inch sides) cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

SAUCE:
Combine sugar, butter, cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar has completely dissolved and the sauce is bubbling. Pour a scant 1 cup (about half the sauce) into the prepared cake pan, set aside the rest to serve with the pudding.

PUDDING:
Put the dates and baking soda in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water; set aside. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, sprinkling in a little flour after each addition. This will stop the batter from curdling.

Mix in the dates and their soaking water. Sift over the remaining flour and the baking powder. Fold them in gently but throughly. Stir in the chopped chocolate and espresso powder (if using). Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake until the top is golden and firm and the sides of the pudding have shrunk away slightly from the sides of the pan; about 45-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pudding and turn out onto a serving plate.

Reheat the remaining sauce until bubbling. Spoon the sauce over thick wedges of hot pudding with a dollop of creme fraiche & sliced strawberries if you like.

A variation on this recipe is also hosted on BigOven.com as recipe number 161320.

This recipe published with BigOven, and can be imported instantly by BigOven users viewing this page. Download your free trial at www.bigoven.com.


Yields: 12 Servings    posted as 161320
     BEST AMERICAN RECIPES, 2003-2004, page 228

 notes:  May be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. To serve, cut into wedges, pour some sauce over each slice, and reheat quickly in a hot oven.

Cuisine:   Uncategorized

Main Ingredient:   Cake