Sticky Date Pud with Salted Toffee Sauce

When asked what their favourite comfort food is, people will give a variety of answers.  Chocolate features high up on the most common responses, as do roast dinners.  Inmates on death row, similarly, have wishlists which span from the mundane (a big mac and fries) to magnificent (foie gras).  Personally, nothing says "curl up under a warm doona and forget about the world outside" quite like a good pud.

Ingredients (serves 4):

100g pitted and roughly chopped dried dates
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp bi carb soda
50g unsalted butter
80g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup SR flour (sifted)

Sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
50g salted butter
1 tsp sea salt flakes

Method:

Preheat oven to 180deg, lightly grease 4 ramekins.

Combine dates and water in saucepan, bring to boil and remove from heat, add bi carb and let cool to room temp.  Beat butter and sugar with electric beaters in small bowl until creamy, slowly add egg and vanilla while beating.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and fold in flour and dates plus water mix until just combined (don't over do it!).  Spoon mix into ramekins, place ramekins on a baking tray and bake for approx 30 mins until golden brown and cooked through.

For the sauce, put sugar, cream, butter and salt into a pan and bring to boil.  Simmer for a few mins, stirring, until butter and cream dissolve and combine.  Reduce heat, simmer for another minute.  Pour hot sauce over inidividual puds and serve immediately - either on its own (classic) or with some cream and seasonal fruits (posh).