Sticky toffee pudding is a delicious sponge cake consisting of chopped dates and toffee sauce. It’s also typically paired with vanilla ice cream or custard because it complements the dish so nicely. Great dish for a special occasion or to serve during the holidays.
This amazing recipe comes from the Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook.
“Although early British puddings were either savoury (meat-based) or sweet and were typically boiled in special pudding bags, modern British puddings are commonly dense, moist cakes–often laced with rehydrated dried fruits–that are either steamed or baked. These toffee-topped did not appear on the English table until the late twentieth century, though similar small puddings baked in ramekins would not have been uncommon in Mrs. Patmore’s kitchen.”
History of Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky toffee pudding was only invented in the 1940s, and the origins are quite vague. However, it can be traced back to two Canadian air force officers and a British hotel manager. During the Second World War, the officers lodged at a hotel in Lancashire. While there, the chaps gave the recipe to the hotel manager, a woman named Patricia Martin. Decades later, Martin gave the recipe to Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel employees Francis Coulson and Robert Lee. They were the first people to publically sell this sticky sensation, which inevitably became an international smash.
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Downton's Sticky Toffee Pudding
Equipment
- 8 x 1/2 cup ramekins
Ingredients
For the Puddings
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup dates pitted and finely chopped
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup heavy cream 35%
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Puddings
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).Butter eight 1/2 cup custard cups or ramekins, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Place on a sheet pan.
- In a small heatproof bowl, combine the dates, baking soda, and boiling water. Let stand until cool, about 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and lighter in color, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and adding the vanilla and the final egg. Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add the date mixture and stir until evenly distributed. The batter will be thin. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared custard cups, filling them about two-thirds full.
- Bake the puddings until they are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Make the Sauce
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cream and whisk to incorporate. Bring to a boil for a minute or two, then add in the vanilla and salt.
Serving
- When the puddings are ready, remove the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Run a thin-blade knife around the inside of each custard cup to loosen the pudding and invert the warm pudding onto individual plates. Top each pudding with a big spoonful of the toffee sauce, letting it run down the sides and onto the plate. Top with vanilla ice cream to help cut the sweetness.
