Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is a great winter 'pudding' in the British sense, (dessert for the rest of us) when you have company over, or when you just want something sublime for your family. This is warm, sweet, slightly spicy - comforting and good. I like to serve this with my Caramel Sauce. This makes 6 one-cup ramekins or you can make 8 3/4-cup size ramekins.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄3 cups  chopped pitted dates
• 1 1⁄4 cups  orange juice
• 1  teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 60  g butter (just over 2 ounces)
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup self-raising flour
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄8 teaspoon allspice
•  whipped cream or  vanilla ice cream, for serving
•  caramel sauce, for serving (Caramel Sauce)

Directions

1. Preaheat oven to 170°C.
2. Butter and flour 6 1-cup ramekins.
3. Put the dates and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, pressing down on dates with a fork to mash them. Remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda. The date mixture will foam, just mash it in . Cool for 1/2 an hour before proceeding with recipe.
4. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and spice together for 3-4 minutes. Add flour on low speed and then mix in the date mixture. Mix just until combined.
5. Spoon into prepared ramekins, place in a larger pan or on a cookie sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes (cover with foil if browning too quickly), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes before turning out.
6. To plate: Turn out each pudding onto a dessert plate. Garnish with whipped cream or ice cream and serve with warm Caramel Sauce.