Never mind Mother's Day, this outrageously decadent and delicious homemade pud will make Mum's year.

Recipes & Styling Natalie Homan | Photographs Brendan Homan

Sticky ginger pudding with pecans & maple caramel
serves 6

250ml milk
150g medjool dates, pitted & diced
1 tsp bicarb soda
175g butter, plus extra for lining dish
175g dark brown sugar
150g golden syrup
2 large eggs, whisked
300g plain flour
2 tsp ginger powder
100g pecans, toasted
60g crystallised ginger, diced

for the sauce
250g caster sugar
100ml thickened cream, room temperature
150g salted butter, cubed and chilled
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp whisky or brandy

Preheat oven to 160C and butter a 1.5L pudding basin. Bring the milk up to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the dates and bicarb soda, stir with a spoon and set aside for 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the sugar and golden syrup and stir until dissolved. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, puree the date mixture with a hand blender until smooth. Add the date puree to the golden syrup mix and whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs. Sift the flour and ginger over the batter and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the pudding basin and place the basin in deep a baking tray. Place in the oven and pour boiling water to reach halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer pierced in the centre comes out clean. Allow to rest in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place half the sugar in a medium-heavy based saucepan and place on the stove over medium-high heat, cook until melted and beginning to caramelise. Add the remaining sugar and cook until a dark caramel forms. Add the cream gradually (taking care as it will splatter) and allow to boil for a minute. Take off the heat and add the butter a cube at a time, whisking to incorporate. Stir through the maple syrup and whisky.

Serve the pudding dressed with the pecans and ginger pieces, doused with the caramel sauce and pouring cream on the side.

 

This recipe was first published in the July 2020 issue of SALIFE magazine.