Sticky Toffee Pudding by Surjan Singh Jolly

Ingredients:
For the cake
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• 1 ½ cups chopped dates
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the sauce
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. of unsalted butter
• 2 cups boiling water
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C and butter a 1½ litre / 6 cups capacity pudding dish
2. Combine the ½ cup of dark brown sugar with the flour in a large bowl. Add the baking powder to the mixture
3. Pour milk into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour and stir it with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in the dates and pour into the prepared pudding dish
4. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Check the top pudding. If it feel spongy and spring back when touched it is done.. If it’s not done in 45 minutes, keep it in the oven for 5 to 10 extra minutes.
5. For the sauce: Put the 1 cup of dark brown sugar in a bowl and dot it with butter. Over this pour 2 cups of boiling water and put it the oven for 10-15 minutes to thicken it slightly.
6. Pour sauce over the cake once ready and allow it to soak in.
Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or double cream if you prefer.
(Surjan Singh Jolly, fondly known as Chef Jolly, is the Executive Chef at JW Marriott, Bengaluru.)