Sticky Date and Pear Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

Today I’m sharing with you a treasured family recipe. You know the type; baked first by my Nan for hungry farmers and children over the years, then by my Ma at special family lunches to follow a feast of roast lamb. Now I’ve added my own flair to this classic and secretly simple dish; a delightfully rich and moist Sticky Date and Pear Pudding covered in crispy caramelised pecans, served warm with vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of homemade butterscotch sauce. You’ll be able to have this one in the oven in well under an hour, and there are no tricks at all in the recipe. Perfectly embracing so many irresistible and comforting winter flavours, this dessert is a definite crowd pleaser and the ultimate comfort food.

The weather up my way was wild last night, but some friends and I cozied up after an enormous dinner, storm raging outside, fire blazing inside, house in complete blackout, lounge room lit by candles, and dutifully scraped up every last crumb from our bowls. The butterscotch sauce is my absolute weakness, I may have consumed a litre or so in the past 48 hours, and there’s still some in the fridge. And to make matters worse, it sets like fudge when it cools so it’s just too darn easy to eat with a spoon! We used up some of the leftovers today with vanilla ice cream and baked rhubarb, and I’m temped to just stir the rest into a big mug of warm milk tonight… I hope you do the same!

Sticky Date and Pear Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

Servings: 8-12
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Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Sticky Date and Pear Pudding

185 g dried dates
250 mL water
60 g unsalted butter
185 g self-raising flour
100 g raw caster sugar
85 g dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large Bosc pear, peeled and diced (about 200 g diced pear)
150 g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon raw caster sugar, for sprinkling

Butterscotch Sauce

225 g dark brown sugar
185 g unsalted butter
225 mL thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

METHOD

Sticky Date and Pear Pudding

Preheat fan-forced oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease and line a 30 x 20 cm slice tin/shallow cake tin.
In a small saucepan, bring the dates, water and butter to the boil over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and jammy. Break up the dates with a wooden spoon as they cook.
Sift and combine the flour, sugars and bicarb soda in a medium mixing bowl (don’t sift the brown sugar). In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and vanilla to completely break up the yolks. Add this egg mixture and the date mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the chopped pears and stir briefly.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the surface evenly with chopped pecans and the extra raw caster sugar.
Bake on the oven’s central rack for 20-25 minutes, until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean but with traces of moisture. If you gently press the surface of the pudding, it should spring back a little.
Leave the pudding to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then gently lift from the tin and slice. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce

Prepare the butterscotch sauce while the pudding is baking. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 5-8 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and turns a dark brown colour. Take care to not burn the sauce.
Cover and set aside until needed. The sauce can be refrigerated, but should be warmed before serving.

Store the pudding covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days, and the sauce for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving. Alternatively, freeze the pudding for up to 3 months.