Sticky date pudding

Jen I use Stephanie Alexander's recipe, which is dead easy.

170g dates, stoned and chopped (do this with kitchen scissors) 1 tsp bicarb soda 300ml boiling water 60g unsalted butter 3/4 cup castor or brown sugar 2 eggs 170g self-raising flour 1/2 pure vanilla

sauce - 400g brown sugar 1 cup thick cream 250g unsalted butter 1 vanilla bean split (beans the price they are, I use vanilla extract)

Mix dates and bicarb soda. Pour over boiling water and leave to stand.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Fold flour in gently, then stir in date mixture and vanilla. Pour into buttered 18cm square cake tin. Bake in centre of preheated 180C oven for 30-40 mins until cooked when tested with skewer.

To make sauce, bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins. I make it in a large microwave jug - you have to watch it because it wants to boil over. I think that the quantity she gives is too much, and only ever make half which is plenty.

Pour a little sauce over the warm pudding and return to the oven for 2-3 mins so sauce soaks in. Cut pudding into squares and pbutt extra sauce.

She does say you can add 100g chopped bittersweet chocolate before baking, but personally I think it is excessive.

The given quantity serves 8, unless one or more is a teenage boy. I find the pudding, being basically a cake, will keep in the fridge for days, and the sauce (in its jug) likewise

Christine