Ingredients
250g pitted dates,
finely chopped
125g unsalted butter,
at room temperature
85g light muscovado sugar
140g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
50g raisins
50g chopped mixed peel
50g red glace cherries, halved
50g pecans, chopped
50g glace ginger, chopped
1 holly sprig, to garnish
Vanilla ice-cream, to serve
BRANDY SYRUP
100g caster sugar
100ml brandy
BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
100g caster sugar
3 tblsps water
25g unsalted butter
300ml thickened cream
Method
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Heat oven to 180C/160C fan. Put dates in a bowl, pour over 250ml boiling water. Set aside. Grease a 1.5 litre pudding basin. Line base with baking paper.
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Put butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. Add cooled date mix. Beat until combined.
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Stir in fruits, pecans and ginger. Pour into pudding basin. Cover basin with pleated baking paper and foil. Put basin in a deep roasting pan half-filled with boiling water. Steam in oven for 3 hours until pudding is cooked when tested.
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Meanwhile, make brandy syrup. Put sugar and 75ml water in a pan. Stir over heat until syrupy. Stir in brandy. Remove from heat. Pour over brandy syrup so it soaks into pudding. Cover until ready to serve. Will keep in fridge for a week.
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Make butterscotch sauce, dissolve sugar with water over a low heat. Bring to boil (don’t stir at all). When sugar is a dark golden caramel, whisk in butter. Remove from heat. Stir in cream. Will keep in fridge for 3 days.
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To serve, warm pudding in turned-off oven, or microwave on High, covered with plastic wrap, for 5 minutes. Warm butterscotch sauce in a pan, or in microwave on Medium for 2 minutes. Turn out the pudding onto a plate, pour over some of the sauce and serve rest in a jug. Top with holly sprig and serve with ice-cream.