Sticky Toffee (& Carrot) Pudding With Rich Toffee Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/4 cup fig, chopped
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup soft brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups self raising flour, sieved
2 small carrots or 1 large carrot, finely grated
1/2 cup shelled pecan nuts
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups double cream or 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 tablespoon treacle
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup shelled pecan nuts (optional)

Preparation

For the Pudding.
Preheat oven at 180 oC.
Place the dates and figs in a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and cover with boiling water, set aside till needed.
Cream the butter and sugar until well blended add the beaten eggs gradually to resemble a smooth mixture.
Fold in the flour.
Add date, fig and water mixture and blend throughly.
Add grated carrot and nuts.
Pour into a greased cake tin or latex mould.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Toffee Sauce.
Place butter, cream, syrup, treacle and vanilla extact in a saucepan.
Melt over medium heat until it comes to the boil, stirring frequently.
Add nuts and fruit, if required.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve Pudding with lashings of sauce and vanilla ice cream.
Heat sauce prior to serving if it has cooled down.