COOK TIME:40 minutes PREP TIME:20 minutes SERVINGS:8
I am third generation on our family farm in county Wicklow, Ireland, and my mother opened ou

r bed & breakfast in our 19th century farmhouse, over 50 years ago. This was one of her signature desserts and I learned to make it from her. It is still much-loved by all the visitors to our home and to our cooking school all these

 years later. It’s a quintessential Irish dish, with our beautiful grass-fed butter, Guinness and Irish whiskey in it — what’s not to love?

It is the ultimate comfort dessert for me. It’s a very flavorsome cake (served warm) that literally “goes for a swim” in the whiskey toffee sauce. You’ll also see this dish on menus in pubs in Ireland. My twist is the addition of the whiskey to the sauce. I hope you agree that I made a good choice there!

Technique tip: The dates must be well broken down to a paste. Cream the butter and sugar well until pale and fluffy to ensure a lightness to this cake. And fold in the flour, apricots and vanilla plus dates lightly to retain the lightness.

Swap option: Dried apricots can be swopped for dried cranberries, and Irish cream liqueur instead of the whiskey

Ingredients 

PUDDING
6¼ ounces pitted dates
3⅓ fluid ounces water
3⅓ fluid ounces Irish stout
1 teaspoons baking soda
1¾ ounces Irish butter
6¼ ounces sugar
2 eggs, beaten
6¼ ounces self-rising flour
2 ounces apricots, diced and soaked in 4 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
SAUCE
3⅓ fluid ounces cream
3½ ounces Irish butter
3½ ounces soft dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 orange, zested
ORANGE CREAM
5 fluid ounces whipping cream
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 orange, zested and 1/2 juiced
dried orange slices and mint, to decorate
powdered sugar, to finish
.

Preparation

For the pudding:

1. Cook the dates with the water, stout and baking soda over a gentle heat, until they soften and break down to a loose paste, about 15 minutes. Leave on one side to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 360 F. Line a 6- by 7-inch baking pan with baking parchment.

3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy and gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the flour, apricots, vanilla and the dates and transfer the mixture to the baking tin.

4. Bake for about 40 minutes, until firm to the touch.

For the sauce:

Place the cream into a pot with the butter, sugar, orange zest and whiskey, heat over a high heat, stirring all the time and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring from time to time until it thickens a little. Allow to cool a little.

For the orange cream:

Whisk together the cream, icing sugar and orange until light and fluffy.

To serve:

Using a cutter, shape 8 circles. Place the sticky toffee pudding portions onto each plate, arrange an orange slice and mint sprig on top, generously spoon sauce on plate and some over the top. Place a dollop of cream on the side and dust with powdered sugar.