Stollen sticky toffee pudding recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Stollen Sticky Toffee Pudding:

200g Pitted Dates

500ml Clementine/ Orange Juice

2 tsp Stollen Spice Blend

1 ¾ tsp Bicarbonate Soda

100g Butter, room temperature

30g Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar

3 Large Eggs

300g Self Raising Flour

50g Raisins

50g Glace Cherries, finely chopped

50g Marzipan, cut into 0.5cm cubes

Cointreau Clementine Caramel Sauce:

100g Caster Sugar

200ml Double Cream

40ml Clementine/ Orange Juice

20ml Cointreau, or any orange liqueur (use more clementine juice if you prefer)

½ tsp Stollen Spice Blend

150g Butter, room temperature

METHOD

1. Preheat oven 160C. Grease and lightly flour 8 Dariole, Mini Bundt mould or ramekins.

2. Add the dates, clementine juice and spice blend to a pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add to a blender with the bicarbonate soda and blend to a smooth puree.

3. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until lightened and fluffy, beat in the eggs then combine the date mixture, including all the liquid.

4. Sift over the flour and fold in gently, before folding in the dried fruits and marzipan. Divide between your moulds and place on the middle shelf. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

5. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.

6. Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and sprinkle over enough sugar to just cover. Without stirring, keep sprinkling more sugar over where the sugar melts, as if you are trying to fill in the gaps. I find this is the easiest way to make a direct caramel without it burning. If it starts to go quickly, just remove the pan from the heat and swirl to combine and cool.

7. Once the sugar has all completely dissolved, heat until it reaches a dark amber colour. Quickly add the cream, clementine juice and alcohol and whisk to combine. It will splutter and caramel will seize around the whisk but keep whisking and it will all come together.

8. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a piece at a time, making sure it’s all combined before you add more. Finally whisk in the spice blend.

9. Either serve straight away, or reheat the puddings in the microwave for 30 seconds. The sauce can be reheated gently in pan on the stove.

Susie Morrison of Gourmet Glow for Steenbergs @gourmetglow