GLUTEN-FREE DATE PUDDINGS WITH TOFFEE SAUCE
Surprisingly perhaps to those who love everything about Christmas Pudding - the tradition, the flaming presentation, the brandy sauce etc. - not everyone is so keen. Including me … and often the children at the table.
So while we do have a fabulous gluten-free Christmas Pudding recipe which we recommend to pudding-lovers, we’re also offering a delicious alternative.
Our gluten-free Date Puddings, which we serve warm, liberally doused with a delicious, buttery, toffee sauce, are pretty irresistible and make an excellent alternative to the traditional.
They can be made days ahead, even frozen, and the sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week, making them all the more appealing at such a busy time.
And the kids, and I, love them.
Rosie
DATE PUDDINGS WITH TOFFEE SAUCE
Makes 10
175 gm pitted, dried dates
300 ml water
1.5 teaspoons bi-carb soda
65 gm butter, softened
120 gm caster sugar
4 55 gm eggs
230 gm Revenge Gluten-free Almond Plain Flour Mix
3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
Pinch of salt
Toffee Sauce (see below)
Whipped cream to serve
Preheat oven to 175°C. Generously butter and sugar 10 x 150ml capacity dariole moulds or similar. Have at hand a baking dish large enough to accommodate all the moulds without crowding.
Place dates in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the bi-carb soda, stirring well. Allow to cool then blend to a puree.
Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold into the creamed mixture. Fold in the pureed dates mixing until well combined.
Place a level 1/3 of a cup of the mixture into each mould. There will be a little mixture left over but don’t be tempted to put any more than a level 1/3 of a cup into each mould as the mixture will overflow while cooking.
Place filled moulds into the baking dish and carefully pour the boiling water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the moulds.
Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into the middle of a pudding comes out clean.
Remove baking dish from the oven and, using an oven mitt or similar to protect your hands, remove the moulds onto a cooling rack. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before turning out.
You can serve immediately, doused with Toffee Sauce and with whipped cream on the side, however, the puddings can be made in advance (up to 3 or 4 days and refrigerated) and re-heated gently in the microwave or covered and re-heated in the oven. They freeze very successfully. Defrost in the fridge before re-heating.
Serve puddings with plenty of toffee sauce and with a bowl of whipped cream on the side. Make sure you serve a jug of extra sauce - plenty is never enough.
Toffee Sauce
185 gm unsalted butter
300 gm brown sugar
185 ml cream
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add brown sugar and whisk until all the butter has been incorporated. Add the cream and vanilla, whisk until incorporated, then bring to the boil. Remove from heat.
You can use the sauce immediately or make in advance (up to 3-4 days and refrigerate) and gently re-heat in a microwave or in a saucepan on the stove over a low heat.