1-1/2 cups, stoned and chopped dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
150 mls boiling water
125g butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 heaped cup self-raising flour
In a bowl, sprinkle dates with soda and pour over the boiling water. Stir until all the soda has dissolved and allow to stand 10 – 15 minutes. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg one at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and the soaked dates with the water. Pour into a deep, well-greased and floured 20 cm cake tin or deep pie plate.
Bake at 190 C for 30 – 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of pudding comes out clean. Allow the pudding to stand in the tin while you prepare the sauce.
SAUCE:
3 cups loosely packed brown sugar
75g butter
300 ml cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil then the heat down and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Pour a small amount of the sauce (about 4 Tbs) over the pudding, then put pudding back into the oven for a few minutes to allow the sauce to soak in and bubble to a golden-brown colour. Serve with extra sauce and a generous dollop of whipped cream.