Salty Sticky Toffee Puddings Recipe

Ingredients

For the caramel sauce:

• 2 cups (450 g) packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup plus 1 tbsp (125 g) butter
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
• 2 tbsp dark rum or Cognac

For the cakes:

• 7 oz (200 g) pitted dates, coarsely chopped
• 1¾ cup (225 g) self-rising flour
• pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp (50 g) butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 1½ cups (300 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg

For serving:

• unsweetened whipped cream, good crème fraîche, or vanilla ice cream

Method

1. Make the caramel sauce: Stir the brown sugar with the butter and the salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted. (The mixture will be a little grainy.) Add the cream and bring to a boil

2. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes

3. Take the pan off the heat and let the sauce cool off almost completely. Then stir in the rum or cognac

4. Cover the sauce and let it cool in the fridge

5. Make the cakes: Bring the dates and 1 cup (250 ml) water to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until the dates are very soft, about 5 minutes. Take them off the heat and let them cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

7. Grease 12 muffin cups with butter

8. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Beat the butter and brown sugar in another bowl until creamy and light colored. Beat in the egg. Fold the flour and dates in batches into the butter mixture. Divide the batter among the muffin cups

9. Bake the cakes for 25 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted in one comes out dry. Let them rest in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and invert the cakes onto it. Place them slightly apart and pour 2 tbsp caramel sauce over each cake

10. Let cool completely. (You can do this easily a day in advance and store them in an airtight container until you need them.)

11. Before serving, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

12. Bake the soaked cakes for 10 minutes and serve them with cold caramel sauce and unsweetened cream or vanilla ice cream