Sticky Toffee Pudding

Makes about 18
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients

Puddings:
Cooking spray (I use avocado)
2 cups pitted California Medjool dates (about 16 of them; 315g)
1 cup very hot coffee
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (softened) + extra for greasing muffin tins
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sauce:
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces) heavy cream
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Ice cream for serving (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the shelf in your oven to the middle slot. Grease muffin tin with cooking spray.
  2. Stir baking soda into the coffee. Tumble dates into a tall jar or glass. Pour coffee over the dates, and then push the fruit down so it’s submerged. Allow to sit for 20 minutes.
  3. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and ground cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
    4. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream sugar and butter with the paddle attachment, until fluffy. Beat vanilla into eggs, then add half of the mixture at a time to the creamed
  4. butter and sugar. Beat until just combined. The mixture may look like it’s curdled. Don’t fret! It’s ok!
  5. Now add flour mixture, and stir, or beat on low speed, until combined.
    6. Pour the date mixture into a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher until you get a thick, coarse paste. I like to leave a few pebble-sized chunks in it for texture. Pour this mixture
  6. into the cake batter; beat on low speed until well-combined, but don’t overbeat!
    7. Fill muffin cups between halfway and two-thirds of the way full. Tap the muffin tin on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place on a baking sheet, and pop into the oven. Bake for
  7. 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.
    8. Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce: Place dark brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and rye whiskey/bourbon, and salt in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and cook until butter has
  8. melted. Now turn the heat up and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in sherry vinegar. Remove from heat and cover.
    9. Test puddings: insert a toothpick into the middle of a muffin. When you pull it out, it should be clean if it’s cooked through. Place the muffin pan on a wire rack to cool for 5
  9. minutes.
    10. Using a small offset spatula, release muffins from the pan. Turn each muffin over, and prick the bottom (about halfway through) 8-9 times. Spoon 1 tablespoon of toffee sauce into the
  10. bottom of the muffin pan, then return muffin to its pan. Repeat with remaining muffins. Allow to sit another 15 minutes, to soak up the sauce.
  11. Serve with a dollop of ice cream and a generous pour of the toffee sauce!