LITTLE ICKY STICKY PUDDINGS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Before you do anything else, place the dates and the water into a saucepan over a moderate heat and bring the mixture to a good rolling boil.
• Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda.
• Now, allow the date mixture to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Set the oven to 180C (350F).
• Grease a muffin tin (I use one that makes 12 muffins) very well.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Still beating, add eggs, one at a time, and beat until the beaters leave a'trail' in the mixture- it should be the consistency of whipped cream.
• Add vanilla and mix briefly to combine.
• Sift the flour into this mixture, then fold it in lightly but thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
• When the date mixture is cooled (no hotter than luke warm), tip it into the other ingredients and stir lightly but thoroughly to combine.
• A light hand in mixing at this stage will ensure light puddings.
• Don't worry that the mixture looks very liquid at this stage- that's how it's supposed to look.
• Spoon mixture into muffin cups, filling each cup almost, but not quite, to the top (they don't rise too much).
• Bake on the centre shelf of a preheated 180C (350F) oven for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer, inserted in the centre of a pudding, comes out clean.
• When cooked, remove tray from oven and allow puddings to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing to serve or to cool on wire racks.
• (If puddings stick, run a knife around the outside, and allow puddings to cool a little more before carefully easing out of the pan.) Serve warm with hot caramel sauce.
• TO MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over a moderate heat and bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Serve over warm puddings.