Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

• 1 3/4 cups packed pitted dates 
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 
  
• Sauce:

• 1 3/4 sticks (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Make pudding:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease muffin tins.

Coarsely chop dates and in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan simmer dates in water, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Let mixture stand 20 minutes.

While mixture is standing, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. Add date mixture and with a wooden spoon stir batter until just combined well.

Pour batter into muffin tins and set tin in a larger baking pan. Add enough hot water to larger pan to reach halfway up sides of muffin tin and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove smaller pan from water bath and cool muffins to warm on a rack.

Make sauce while pudding is cooling:
In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and add brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and stir in cream and vanilla. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. 

Cool sauce to warm.

Remove muffins from the tin. Serve with ice cream and warm sauce.

I love to freeze both the muffins and the sauce.  These are my secret treats that I pull out on a bad day or when I just really need some dessert.  I just take out a muffin, put about a tablespoon of sauce over it and microwave for 30 seconds.  Yum!!

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Molly