Name: Sticky toffee sundae
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 300 dates 200g of which should be chopped, the rest soaked in a syrup made by simmering 100g caster sugar with 100ml water; 50g butter; 175g golden caster sugar; 275g plain flour; 1tbsp baking powder; 1 egg; 2tsp bicarbonate of soda; vanilla ice cream; clotted cream; 150g butter; 150g dark brown sugar; 250ml double cream

300 dates
200g of which should be chopped, the rest soaked in a syrup made by simmering 100g caster sugar with 100ml water
50g butter
175g golden caster sugar
275g plain flour
1tbsp baking powder
1 egg
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
vanilla ice cream
clotted cream

CARAMEL TOFFEE SAUCE

150g butter
150g dark brown sugar
250ml double cream

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Put the unsoaked dates with 300ml water in a pan and bring up to the boil. Cream the butter and sugar together and mix the flour with the baking powder. Add the egg to the butter and sugar mixture followed by the flour. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the date mix, be careful as the mix will foam up, then slowly add this date mix to the cake mix and fold together. Pour into a 22×22cm tray lined with baking parchment and cook for about 25 minutes or until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool and remove the parchment. Dice the sticky toffee pudding into 1cm cubes
step 2
To make the caramel sauce, put the butter and sugar in a pan and melt together, stirring. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the cream and bring up to the boil. Simmer for 2 mins then strain into a jug.
step 3
To assemble the sundaes, put 2-3 syrup-soaked dates into the bottom of 8 large glasses and pour the caramel sauce over the dates until they are just covered. Put about 6 - 8 bits of sticky toffee pudding in the glass next, then add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle a few more pieces of pudding over the top. Top it off with a quenelle of clotted cream and serve with a jug of extra caramel sauce.