For pudding
1 3/4 cups packed pitted dates (about 10 ounces)
1 cup water
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
For sauce
1 3/4 sticks (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream
Make pudding:
Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan (2 inches deep), knocking out excess flour.
Coarsely chop dates and in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan simmer dates in water and orange juice, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Let mixture stand 20 minutes.
While mixture is standing, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. Add date mixture and with a wooden spoon stir batter until just combined well.
Pour batter into baking pan and set pan in a larger baking pan. Add enough hot water to larger pan to reach halfway up sides of smaller pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove smaller pan from water bath and cool pudding to warm on a rack.
Make sauce while pudding is cooling:
In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and add brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and stir in cream and vanilla. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool sauce to warm.
Cut warm pudding into squares. Serve pudding with ice cream and warm sauce.
Serves 6 to 8.
Source: Gourmet May 1998(from Dalvay By The Sea, Prince Edward Island, Canada)
Special-K 03/14/03 WOW!!! I have never been a huge fan of sticky date pudding but that has all changed. We made this the other week and couldn't get enough of it. I've changed this recipe to use one cup of water and one cup OJ to give the dates more flavour. Definitely good enough for a dinner party or a mid week treat. I'll be making this again and again
A Cook from Philadelphia, PA on 01/24/03 Sublime. A big hit with my book club.
A Cook from New York, NY (via Australia) on 12/29/02 This recipe is amazing. I've made it many times and always get rave reviews - "the best dessert I've ever tasted" from someone recently. I just made it again for Christmas but couldn't find dates so made it with dried figs. It certainly changed the taste of the pudding but it was still great. Whenever I make this and don't eat it all in one sitting (I defy any group of 6 to eat this whole thing!) I cut the left over into servings of 2 and freeze them. So easy to microwave for a minute to defrost and heat and serve just with ice cream or with some honey (if you don't have/can't be bothered making more caramel sauce). Yummy!
A Cook from Chicago IL on 12/13/02 The first time I tried this recipe it came out undercooked -- very disappointing. However, I tried it again (adding a full 15 minutes to the baking time) and it was delicious.
A Cook from Portland, OR on 04/03/02 I thought this dessert was wonderful! I too soaked the dates in orange juice/water mix, and cut the sugar about in half. Got rave reviews when I served it.
A Cook from Waterloo, Ont. on 03/21/01 We had this for our dinner club a few weeks ago. It was sensational.
A Cook from Mitcham, Surrey, UK. on 01/01/01 As a chef I used to make this on a regular basis. I never could see why the soda was put into the date/water mix because you are losing it's aerating properties so I add it to the flour. At the Ivy in London where I used to work we would cook them in foil cups (you could use ramekins/darioles) then cut the tops (bottoms) off so they would stand up well on the plate then cut into 3 horizontally. Then put some toffee sauce in the bottom of the "cups" then add the 3 slices adding sauce in between (think jam on bread!) and over the bottom. Cover with tin -foil and put in a hotplate/low oven 40 minutes before eating. Goes well with a spoon of creme fraiche.
Margaret LeDerer from Grand Rapids, MI on 08/24/00 I took the tip from another reader and used half orange juice/half water to cook the dates in. Also stole from yet another recipe and added 3T cognac to the sauce. (would have used Armagnac had I had any.....but you know how that goes) Absolutely DIVINE. I also poked some holes in the cake while it was warm and poured about a half cup of the sauce over and let it sink in. Definitely a keeper.
megw from Adelaide, Australia on 07/08/00 I make this wonderful dish frequently, but have modified it slightly to soak and plump the dates in a mixture of half water and half orange juice - this lifts the dish to the next dimension of yumminess!! I also spoon the mixture into individual dariole moulds and serve on large white flat plates with superior vanilla ice cream and clotted cream on the side - for a spectacular dessert for a special dinner party.
Carol from Alberta, Canada on 05/20/00 We are not big date fans but this recipe is wonderful. Very rich but delicious. Definitely a keeper.
A Cook from RIYADH,KSA on 05/19/00 It's amazing , so good...I just love it and will keep on doing it the rest of my life. ps.it needed more than an hour in the oven to get ready.
A Cook from LOS ANGELES, CA on 04/03/00 EXCELLENT RECIPE. I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE IT AGAIN. THE TOFFEE SAUCE IS OUTSTANDING. I KEPT TAKING SPOONFULS BEFORE I SERVED IT.
Barb Green from Souderton, PA on 03/22/00 This is the BEST dessert I've ever had the pleasure of eating!
A Cook from Rochester, MN on 03/19/00 Simply food for the gods! Delicious, even when leftovers are reheated. I've also made the batter beforehand, refrigerated it and then cooked the pudding, just increased the cooking time till it was done and it worked out fine. If you want to make a sticky date pudding this is a fantastic recipe.
Tracey from Melbourne, Australia on 03/15/99 One mouthful, soft, delectable, the sauce runs down your throat like a gentle liquid stream, the sponge like pudding, simply dissolves on one's tastebuds. Served with cold ice cream, this pudding is beyond compare, one could easily gain a compulsive eating disorder with this pudding, its hard to stop eating it once begun. Your guests will be drooling at the mouth once you make mention that you are making this dish for desert. Once eaten, never forgotten, a tasteful memory to be savoured at ones leisure.
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