Recipe - Sticky Banoffee Pudding

One of my most often made desserts is Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Ridiculously quick and easy to make, it can be whipped up in ten minutes and out of the oven a mere 35 minutes later.  As Mr G is out of driving action for the foreseeable, I'm trying to use up all the bits and bobs we have in, so that when I go shopping, I don't have to carry too much!

I have a load of dried fruits after last year's Christmas pudding making.  I found a bunch of bananas in my pantry that had started to turn black.  I wondered if there was something I could do with them.  I don't like banana bread, Banoffee tart was just too sweet (yes, there is such a thing sometimes!).  Cake.  Banana cake?  Or... What if I put mashed bananas in my Sticky Toffee Pudding?  Would it work?  Well!  Only one way to find out!

I'm no photographer, so I'll spare you the step by step photographs, but the above is a slice of the finished article before it was drowned in double cream!  

For the pudding:

150g chopped, pitted dates

250 ml hot water

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

60g butter or margarine

60g caster sugar

2 free range eggs

150g self raising flour

3 bananas, mashed (leave these out for plain Sticky Toffee Pudding)

For the Toffee Sauce:

100g butter

200g light soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

125 ml double cream

Mix the dates, water and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl, and leave to soak for ten minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.  

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the eggs, making sure they are well mixed in.  Still stirring gradually add the flour, then the date mixture (including soaking liquid), and the mashed bananas.  

Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 1lb loaf tin.  Put into the oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

To make the sauce, melt the butter and sugar in a pan over medium heat.  When the sugar has dissolved, add the vanilla and the double cream and stir well.  Simmer for five minutes, stirring often.

Serve a slice of the pudding with lashings of toffee sauce, cream, ice cream or custard.

This went in one sitting.  Everyone had a little piece to try, to see if they liked it, and - they did!   I think it was better received than the original.  Although not strikingly different, the addition of bananas to the cake made it very moist, and very, very moreish!  Next time I'd definitely make two and freeze one. 

Ok, ok, I'd make four and freeze two ;-)

M x