Sticky Date Pudding With Balsamic Caramel Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Pudding
185 g pitted dates
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
60 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
185 g caster sugar
2 large eggs
185 g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Caramel Sauce
75 g soft brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons cream
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation

For Pudding:
Combine dates in a pan with 300ml water, bring to a boil.
Remove from heat, stir in bicarb soda and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well each time.
Fold in flour with a large metal spoon, stir in date mixture and vanilla and pour into a greased 18cm square cake tin.
Bake in a 160\u00b0C oven for 50 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
For Sauce:
Combine sugar and butter in a pan and stir over low heat until melted. Add cream and vinegar, bring to a boil, remove from heat and serve warm, not hot.
Note:
I have made a double batch of the pudding in a kugelhopf pan, just make sure you prepare the pan well. I then fill the centre with strawberries or cherries and serve the sauce on the side. Makes a beautiful alternative Christmas Pudding.