Date Pudding With Toffee Sauce (Sticky Toffee Pudding) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Pudding
2 cups chopped pittted dates
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sauce
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons dark rum or 2 teaspoons whiskey

Preparation

For the pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a squate 9 inch baking pan. In a small saucepan mix together dates and water, bring to a boil. Add baking soda and stir until the dates begin to break down and mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes, set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, allspice, and salt, set aside. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
On low speed gradually add flour mixture alternating with date mixture and beat until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Let pudding cool in pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile make toffee sauce.
For the sauce: In a small saucepan mix together butter, sugar, and cream. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Reduce heat to low and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in alchohol.
Cut pudding into squares and serve warm with sauce.