Irish Sticky Date Pudding With Irish Whiskey Toffee Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Grease 10-cup (2.5 L) Bundt or tube pan; dust with flour. Set aside.
• In saucepan, bring water, dates and baking soda to boil; let cool.
• In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour with baking powder; stir into butter mixture alternately with date mixture, making 2 additions of dry ingredients and 1 of date mixture. Scrape into prepared pan. Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven for 45 minutes.
• Irish Whiskey Toffee Sauce: Meanwhile, in saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in sugar until dissolved. Add cream and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in whiskey; keep warm.
• While still in pan and using skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over cake; pour 1/3 cup (75 mL) warm sauce evenly over top. Bake until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.
• Invert cake onto platter. Poke holes all over; pour 1/3 cup (75 mL) more sauce over cake. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap; store in airtight container at room temperature for up 2 days. Cover remaining sauce and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat to serve.).
• To serve, cut into slices; drizzle with remaining warm sauce. Serves 12.
• Canadian Living Magazine: March 2007.

Steps:

• For the pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the dates and 3/4 cup water to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the water has slightly reduced and the dates are beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, then cover the saucepan and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dates and liquid to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until smooth. Pour the date mixture into a bowl and cool to room temperature.
• Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk to break up any lumps of flour. Set aside the dry ingredients. Add the brown sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar together, scraping down the bowl as needed, until fluffy and lighter in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until it is evenly combined. Add the orange zest and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated, then add the date mixture. Mix until well combined, then add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Spray 8 of the cups in a 12-cup muffin pan with the cooking spray. Fill the greased cups with 1/3 cup batter each. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• For the whiskey toffee sauce: Meanwhile, add the heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture continuously until the butter is melted. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the whiskey and continue to simmer until the sauce has slightly darkened in color, an additional 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep covered until ready to serve.
• Cool the puddings in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Once the puddings are cool enough to handle, remove them from the muffin pan using an offset spatula. Trim the domed tops from the puddings and set them on serving plates, cut-side down. Pour the warm whiskey toffee sauce over the puddings and serve immediately.

Steps:

• PUDDING:.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter inside of baking dish. Combine dates, baking soda, and 2/3 cup boiling water in a medium size bowl. In a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add dark brown sugar and 5 tablespoons of softened butter. Mix together on medium low (until just mixed) for about 1 minute. Add molasses and vanilla until just combined. Add the date mixture until just combined. In the buttered baking dish evenly distribute the mixture. Bake about 35 minutes. Insert a butter knife into center to check for doneness. Knife should come out clean.
• TO MAKE TOFFEE SAUCE:.
• Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in light brown sugar. Cook until instant-read thermometer reaches 250 degrees. Slowly whisk in cream and salt and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and place in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
• TO SERVE:.
• Let pudding cool. Cut the pudding into squares and add to individual serving plates. Pour the warm toffee sauce over each pudding (NOTE: Toffee Sauce can be microwaved for a few seconds to reheat, if desired).
• Serve with a teaspoon of Irish whiskey over the pudding and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. For a spectacular presentation, light pudding at the table. BE CAREFUL NOT TO SINGE THE GUEST.