Charlotte Ree's Sticky Date Pudding With Rich Butterscotch Sauce

Welcome to Put on a Spread, a new recipe series that celebrates our Spreads. by Bed Threads. tableware collection. For this instalment author, baker and recipe developer, Charlotte Ree, shares her homesick cure of sticky date pudding with rich butterscotch sauce. 

One of the most brilliant parts of lockdown for me was the opportunity to get to know and build brilliant friendships with my neighbours. (Admittedly those friendships mostly involved me baking and feeding said neighbours copious amounts of cake, sometimes I even baked by request!) This sticky date pudding was created for a homesick Scotsman's birthday, served with a deliciously rich butterscotch sauce and topped with a dollop of cream.

It's a recipe whose batter can be made, baked and served all within an hour. The pudding is best served warm but don't worry if you are time poor and need to make in advance. You can serve with the warm butterscotch sauce or even heat up in the microwave.

Ingredients

• 300g pitted dates, chopped
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted
• 375ml boiling water
• 80g brown sugar
• 100g butter, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 200g plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Double cream, to serve

Butterscotch sauce

• 70g butter
• 250g light brown sugar
• 250ml pouring cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 38 cm x 25 cm x 3 cm high slice tray or 20cm square baking tray with baking spray.

Place dates, bicarb soda and boiling water in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift over the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Add your date mixture and beat until just combined.

Pour into your prepared baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the pudding comes out clean.

While your pudding is baking, make your butterscotch sauce by combining the butter, vanilla and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly add your cream, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Set aside.

Remove pudding from the oven and leave to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Then pour half of your butterscotch sauce over the pudding and leave for another 5 minutes.

To serve, portion squares of pudding from your baking tray. Serve warm with a drizzling of butterscotch sauce, and spoonful of double cream.

Shop Charlotte's look with our Rust Tablecloth, Turmeric Napkins and Bitossi Home accessories.

Shop Charlotte's cookbook Just Desserts at Bed Threads now.

For more from Charlotte, follow her at @charlotteree and check out her home tour.