Easy Sticky Toffee, Apple and Cognac Pudding

Ingredients:

• 200 g stoned dates
• 100 g shelled walnuts or 100 g shelled pecans
• 2 dessert apples peeled cored chopped
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 4 tablespoons cognac
• 100 g butter cut into cubes
• 2 eggs beaten
• 140 g soft brown sugar
• 170 g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 180 g soft brown sugar
• 100 g butter
• 6 tablespoons double cream
• 50 g walnuts roughly chopped or 50 g pecans

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C or 320F
• Whizz up the dates in a food processor until chopped up a little and then add the walnuts or pecans apple golden syrup amp; cognac Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped amp; mixed together but still chunky
• Add the butter eggs amp; sugar amp; pulse a few times to combine
• Finally add the flour amp; bicarbonate of soda amp; keep pulsing until everything comes together amp; is mixed well
• Butter a 15 litre pudding basin amp; tip in all the mixture
• Smooth and level the top amp; bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hr 20 mins or 1 hr 30 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out almost clean
• While the pudding is baking make the toffee sauce; tip the sugar into a saucepan and add the butter amp; the cream Bring to a rapid boil amp; then simmer until the sugar is dissolved amp; the mixture has thickened amp; is caramel in colour
• To serve turn out the pudding and place the walnuts or pecans over the top of the pudding amp; pour over the toffee sauce; place pudding under a grill and cook until the sauce is bubbling
• Serve with Ice Cream Creme fraiche or Chantilly Cream
• FREEZER
• Make the pudding ahead of time and freeze in the pudding container for up to 1 month To reheat defrost amp; cook in the microwave for 8-10 minutes on mediumMake the toffee sauce and serve as before