Sticky Date Pudding

Serves 8
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1¾ cups chopped, pitted, dried dates
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
60g butter, softened
2/3 cup Bundaberg Raw Sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
thick cream, to serve
Sauce
¾ cup Bundaberg Rich Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Bundaberg Golden Syrup
100g butter, chopped
¾ cup thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1. Preheat oven to 170ºC. Grease and line a 20cm deep cake pan.
2. Combine dates and 1¼ cups water in a saucepan, bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in soda, then let stand 5 minutes. Puree in a food processor.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, raw sugar and eggs together for 2 minutes (do not be concerned if mixture appears to curdle). Stir in sifted flour, then date mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50 minutes – 1 hour or until cooked. Stand 10 minutes, then upturn onto a round platter.
4. Meanwhile, make sauce: place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Heat, stirring until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Prick pudding all over with a fine skewer. Spoon half a cup of sauce over pudding. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce and cream.