Ingredients

• 175g/6oz pitted dates
• 100ml/3½fl oz stout
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 175g/6oz sugar
• 2 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 60g/2¼oz apricots
• diced and soaked in 4 tbsp brandy
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 100ml/3½fl oz cream
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 100g/3½oz soft dark brown sugar
• 1 orange
• zest only
• 4 tbsp stout
• 1 orange
• 150ml/5fl oz cream
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• dried orange slices and mint
• to decorate
• icing sugar
• to finish

Directions

• For the pudding
• put the dates
• 100ml/3½fl oz water
• the stout and bicarbonate of soda in a saucepan over a gentle heat until they soften and break down to a loose paste – it will take about 15 minutes. Leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Line a 15x18cm/6x7in tin with baking parchment. Cream the butter and sugar until pale
• light and fluffy then gradually beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Fold in the flour
• apricots
• vanilla and the cooled date mixture.
• Transfer the mixture to the baking tin and bake for about 40 minutes
• or until firm to the touch.
• For the sauce
• put the cream into a saucepan with the butter
• sugar
• orange zest and stout. Heat the sauce over a high heat
• stirring all the time and then reduce the temperature and simmer for about 8–10 minutes
• stirring from time to time until it thickens a little. Allow to cool a little.
• To make the orange cream
• zest the orange and squeeze out the juice. Whisk together the cream
• icing sugar
• all the orange zest and half the juice until light and fluffy. Â
• When ready to serve
• cut the pudding into 6–8 portions
• either using a knife or a pastry cutter.
• Serve each portion of the pudding topped with an orange slice and mint sprig
• if using. Generously spoon the sauce alongside and over the puddings. Dollop some orange cream on the side and dust with icing sugar.