Muffin Sized Sticky Date Puddings

Apologies for the lack of blog posts this week, we've had yet another medical drama in our household.  My husband had to be rushed to hospital on Wednesday evening, he'll hopefully be allowed home sometime this weekend.  This means I have been looking after our older 3 girls and baby boy by myself.  I am rather exhausted to say the least. There'll be no respite for a while as hubby will be on bed rest for a week then gradually getting back to normal for a fortnight after that.

At times like these comfort food and easy meals, and the occasional pudding, are craved and needed.  Luckily I had made a batch of these delicious morsels a fortnight ago and stashed some in the freezer.  They went down very well indeed last night after dinner and there's still a couple left for my husband when he gets home.

Muffin Sized Sticky Date Puddings

210g chopped dates

375ml water

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

90g butter, softened

110g light soft brown sugar

2 free range eggs

225g self-raising flour

Sauce:

2 Tblsp butter

40g light soft brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan. Grease a 12-muffin tin with melted butter or oil.

Put the dates and water into a medium saucepan over a low to moderate heat and cook until the dates have softened. Once the dates are soft, stir in the vanilla extract and bicarbonate of soda.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Gradually add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Should the mixture look like it may be starting to curdle, add a tablespoon or two of flour which will stabilise the mixture.  One the eggs have been fully incorporated, stir in the cooled date mixture then fold in flour.

Spoon the mixture evenly into your prepared muffin tin. Bake the puddings for 20-25 minutes, or until the puddings spring back when touched or a skewer inserted in to the center comes out clean.  Cool in tin for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to continue cooling.

To make the sauce:  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and add the sugar.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to your liking.  Drizzle over the warm puddings and serve with custard if you fancy it.

We had one muffin sized pudding each and I froze the rest, once completely cool and without the drizzle of sauce.  These should keep for up to a month in the freezer.