This is one of my Mums recipes! They are very easy to make and go down well on any occasion, especially with the addition of a scoop of ice cream and double cream poured on top!

Makes 4 puddings

Ingredients
75 gr butter
150 gr sugar
2 eggs
175 gr self raising flour
175 gr boiling water
175 gr dried stoned dates
2 teaspoons instant coffee
teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Method
Place the dates, coffee, and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and pour the boiling water over the top.

Set aside, and allow to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Slowly add the eggs one by one.

Mix in the flour.

Now add the cooled soaked dates and any remaining liquid, and mix until it is fully incorporated in to the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into small metal rings lined with baking paper (if you don't have metal rings you can use small pudding bowls brushed with melted butter and lightly dusted with flour).

Bake the puddings at 150 C, timings will vary due to different ovens and different sizes of the pudding basins used.

Sticky toffee sauce
200 gr granulated sugar
200 ml double cream

Method
Heat a frying pan with a little of the sugar. Stir the sugar to stop it from burning. As the sugar turns to caramel add more sugar a little at a time until all the sugar has turned to caramel.

Do not over caramelise the sugar as it will taste bitter. The sugar will start to smoke a little when it is ready.

Turn off the heat and carefully add the cream a little at a time, stirring each time until all the cream has been incorporated into the sauce.

Set aside until needed.

Warm through when needed and pour over the puddings.

NB Care is needed, as this mixture will be extremely hot and will badly burn if you splash yourself with it!