I know, I know, it's summer. What am I doing posting a rich pudding like this?
Is there a wrong time to eat this?
I hope you didn't answer yes. If you did I'm very disappointed in you. I think a good pudding deserves to be enjoyed all year round and let's face it the weather in Scotland is so changeable (sometimes several times a day).
This is one of the few times where I'm sharing someone else's recipe (I shared Jamie Oliver's Happiness Pasta last year). I couldn't resist sharing this one as I love sticky toffee pudding.
I'm also adding vegan substitutes for you to try. I haven't tried veganising it myself yet, but this is how I would do it and vegan eggs haven't let me down yet. Sometimes when I use them the cakes don't have the usual rise but it really doesn't matter for a rich pudding like this.
This pudding was created by Tom Kitchin, a Scottish chef you may have heard of. He's been on various cookery shows including the Great British Menu and he was the youngest chef to win a Michelin star. His restaurant is called the The Kitchin and you'll find it by the canal in Leith, Edinburgh, down by the old docks.
Tom created this recipe and gave it an extra warmth and kick by serving it with Glen Grant Whisky. He selected an 18 year old single malt which has a rich and spicy flavour.
Whisky can be great served with or in desserts and puddings. This one has a strong, rich flavour, which is perfect with or in a pudding, but if you're making lighter dessert like Scottish Cranachan (where the whisky is one of the ingredients) you'd be looking for a younger whisky like Glen Grant's 10 year old single malt, which has a light fruity flavour but still has the flavour of malt. This 18 year old would totally overpower cranachan and other lighter desserts.
Sticky Toffee Pudding - A classic rich British pudding that can be enjoyed all year round with custard or ice cream (dairy free options are good here too). The recipe includes the original and notes on how I would make it vegan.
Ingredients
- 515g dates (with no stones), chopped
- 675 ml/3 cups water
- 2 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 112g/½ cup butter (or dairy free spread)
- demerara sugar
- 515g /4 cups & 1 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 eggs , whisked (or flax eggs, see notes below)
- 1 kg/5 cups demerara sugar (for the sauce)
- 1 litre/4 cups & 3 tbsp single (light) cream (or Alpro soya cream)
- 250g/1 cup butter, diced (or dairy free spread)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180 c/160 c fan/350 f/gas mark 4, then grease and flour 8 individual pudding moulds. If you are using Flax Eggs make them now and pop them in the fridge.2. Gently cook down the dates and water until they form a paste.3. Add the bicarbonate of soda, then turn off the heat and mix together. Cream the butter and sugar until soft, add the date paste, the eggs and finally the flour and baking powder and gently combine.
4. Place the mixture into the pudding moulds and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer or knife comes out clean
5. For the caramel sauce - Bring the cream and sugar to the boil in a pan, towards the end of baking time. Whisk in the butter and simmer until reduced and thick.
6. To serve, remove from the moulds and pour over the caramel sauce. Serve with custard or ice cream (dairy or dairy free) and a nip of Glen Grant Whisky.7. Enjoy!Notes
4. Place the mixture into the pudding moulds and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer or knife comes out clean
5. For the caramel sauce - Bring the cream and sugar to the boil in a pan, towards the end of baking time. Whisk in the butter and simmer until reduced and thick.
6. To serve, remove from the moulds and pour over the caramel sauce. Serve with custard or ice cream (dairy or dairy free) and a nip of Glen Grant Whisky.7. Enjoy!Notes
Details
Total time: Yield: Serves 8
If you feel this pudding is too rich for warms evenings (how could you!), why not try my Vegan Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Mousse made with Chickpea Water(Aquafaba.
Disclosure: I was not paid for this post. I loved the recipe and was delighted to promote a Scottish Chef and whisky.
