Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of my utmost favorite desserts.

I posted a version here, where it was served in individual portions with a luscious Bushmills Sauce.

Today’s recipe comes from Ina Garten. She calls it Sticky Toffee Date Cake, which it is, too, but I like the pudding moniker better. The glaze gets its kick from some fabulous bourbon whisky.

Sticky Toffee Pudding With Bourbon Glaze

Ingredients:

¾ pound dates, pitted and chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ pound unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1½ tablespoons baking powder
Bourbon Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.

2. Place the dates in a deep saucepan with 1¾ cups of water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to break up the dates. Allow to simmer 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the baking soda, which will bubble up. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, scraping down the mixing bowl.

4. Combine flour and salt and, with the mixer still on low, slowly add it to the batter.

5. With the mixer on low, add the hot date mixture in two batches to the batter, scraping down the bowl. The batter will be runny. Stir in the baking powder, which will also bubble up.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Immediately poke holes all over cake with a toothpick. Ladle three-quarters of the sauce evenly over the cake while still warm and allow it to soak in for 30 minutes.

8. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and pour more sauce on top. Cool and serve at room temperature. (Leftovers, if you have any, I think taste best briefly microwaved…about 15 seconds or so, to soften the glaze).

Serves 10

Bourbon Glaze

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to boil.

2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute.

3. Off the heat, stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Set aside.

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

Even sweeter than Sticky Toffee Pudding is Meursault. The wine, of course, is nice, but the band—–so much better.

Meursault easily got my vote for #1 and #2 song of 2012 (post here). In fact, their incredible album ‘Something For The Weakened’ barely made it off my CD changer from the moment I got it in 2012 right through 2013.

I wrote about the album here.

My Meursault love also showed up here, here, here, and in the form of Cold Seeds here.

That’s a lot of band love.

When I deemed Neil Pennycook my musician of the moment in this post, I couldn’t even imagine the thrill of having him play at one’s house, like he did in the video I included.

All that said, can you imagine how excited I am that Meursault is currently on tour in the US and that they might be playing a house gig in Providence, RI this Saturday night?

ROAD TRIP!

I had to laugh at this email I got from my husband when I told him that news today:

“Are you sure that your rather square husband will fit in at a house gig???? I am not even sure I am qualified to use the word gig!”

So for now, I am just going to cross my fingers that I will be in Rhode Island on Saturday night and listen to some Meursault.

Meursault also has a new album out titled ‘The Organ Grinder’s Monkey’. Here is its trailer with guest appearances from Matthew’s cats.

Check out Meursault on Facebook. You can buy their music over at Song, By Toad Records.

Cheers!