Slow Cooked Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Here it is! The dessert recipe I have been raving about for days! 

This sticky date pudding is sweet, but not too sweet, sticky, as it should be, and just delicious with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

Is it healthy? Nope, not even a little! Just because there are dates in it, does not mean its healthy! What it is is preservative free, additive free. All fresh ingredients, you know whats in it, so that has to be better than a frozen store bought pudding. Yep, even better than good old Sara Lee!!

Credit where credit is due, a big thanks to Paulene at Slow Cooker Recipes 4 Families for this amazing recipe!!! 

Slow Cooked Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

1 litre Boiling Water

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

75 grams diced butter

Pudding

2 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tso baking soda (bicarb soda)

2-3 tsp mixed spice (I used cinnamon as that was all we had!)

1 1/2 cups dates

boiling water

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

50 grams melted butter

Turn slow cooker onto low to preheat

Sauce

Mix water, sugar and butter together until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted.

Pour into preheated slow cooker and cover

Pudding

Put dates into heat proof container and cover with boiling water to soften.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices into a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and make a well in the centre.

Mash or blend dates with water. I used the rocket blender for a nice smooth consistency. Pour into flour, then add milk. Mix well, making sure there are no flour lumps. Once combined stir in butter.

Spoon batter carefully and evenly over sauce in slow cooker and cover with a lid. 

Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce to low and cook for a further 3-4 hours.

Do not lift the lid for the first 2 hours of cooking.

Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream!!

Enjoy :)