Ingredients

• 5 tbsp demerara sugar
• for coating the moulds
• 200g/7oz pitted dates
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 50g/2oz butter
• softened
• plus extra for greasing the moulds
• 175g/6oz dark muscovado sugar
• 1½ tsp golden syrup
• 1½ tsp black treacle
• 200g/7oz self-raising flour
• 2 free-range eggs
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 500ml/18fl oz double cream
• 175g/6oz demerara sugar
• 175g/6oz butter
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• vanilla ice cream

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
• Butter eight small pudding basins (dariole moulds) and sprinkle demerara sugar inside
• coating evenly. Shake any excess sugar out of the moulds
• and place them on a baking tray.
• Place the dates with 250ml/9fl oz water into a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Stir the vanilla extract into the date mixture.
• Blend with a stick blender until the date mixture is thick and soupy.
• In a large bowl
• beat the butter and muscovado sugar together until smooth.
• Stir in the syrup and treacle
• then the flour
• mixing well.
• Break the eggs one at a time into the bowl
• stirring well after each one.
• Add the bicarbonate of soda to the date mixture
• then pour into the flour mixture and beat well to blend.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pudding basins
• filling them two-thirds full.
• Put the puddings into the oven immediately
• and bake for 20 minutes until well-risen and springy to the touch.
• For the sauce
• gently heat the cream in a saucepan. Add the sugar and butter and whisk until melted. Whisk in the syrup and treacle.
• To serve
• turn the pudding out onto a plate
• spoon the sauce over the top and around
• then finish with a dollop of ice cream.