Recipe: The perfect marriage of liquor and sugar, Spiced Rum Sticky Date Pudding
Rachel Barrat-Boyes of Cote Catering shares her Spiced Rum Sticky Date Pudding recipe.
We have been enjoying this recipe in our family for as long as I can remember. Whether it’s a birthday celebration or a festive family get together, you can be sure as anything that this Spiced Rum Sticky Date Pudding (with the addition of a decadent caramel sauce) will emerge from the kitchen for dessert.
The addition of the spiced rum to the traditional sticky date rendition heightens the flavours in the pudding, and the natural spices (think vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg) balances out the sugar. Although it’s incredibly decadent, the flavour isn’t overly sweet – meaning that seconds or thirds are often on the cards. A steam oven is highly recommended for preparing the pudding in order to keep it perfectly moist – even a few days after it’s been baked.
Serve with lashings of caramel sauce and a side of coconut ice cream or mascarpone – for a truly indulgent dessert.
- 1 1⁄2 cups dates chopped
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1⁄4 cups boiling water
- 75g butter
- 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
- 2 eggs (No.7)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
- 30ml spiced dark rum
METHOD
If using a conventional oven, pre heat at 175°C. If using a steam oven (we used the NEFF N90 Steam Oven), it will only take a few minutes to heat up to the desired temperature of 100°C.
Place dates in a bowl and sprinkle with soda, then pour over the boiling water. Stir until soda is dissolved and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, orange rind and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour and baking powder. Fold into the butter mixture.
Add the date mixture, orange juice and dark rum. Stir to combine – the mixture will be very sloppy.
Pour the mixture into a greased ceramic pie dish.
Steam Bake at 100°C for 40 – 50 minutes or until skewer is inserted and comes out clean.
Remove pudding from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve immediately with caramel sauce.
Serves 6-8
CARAMEL SAUCE
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup cream
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 30ml spiced dark rum
METHOD
Combine all ingredients (apart from rum) in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the rum.
