Quinoa sticky date puddings with caramel sauce

ingredients

• Sticky date puddings

  • 500 gram dried dates
  • 590 millilitre water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
  • 250 gram unsalted butter
  • 250 gram superfine (caster) sugar
  • 4 extra large eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 250 gram quinoa flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • strawberries, for garnish

• Caramel sauce

  • 200 gram unsalted butter
  • 400 gram brown sugar
  • 240 millilitre pouring cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

method

• Quinoa sticky date puddings with caramel sauce

  • 1

    Place dates and water into a large saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in the baking soda and set aside to cool. The whole mixture will froth up when you add the soda so make sure you use a big enough saucepan so it doesn’t spill over and don’t worry about all the liquid left as the date mixture will thicken as it cools.

  • 2

    Preheat oven to 160°C and grease 12 1-cup capacity tin moulds. Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, with the vanilla and cinnamon.

  • 3

    Sift the flour and baking powder and slowly incorporate with the creamed butter mixture. Fold in the cooled dates and divide cake mixture evenly between the prepared tins. Place tins on a baking tray and bake for 35–40 minutes. When cooled, run a thin knife along the side of the moulds to loosen the puddings, then invert onto a serving plate and serve with lots of caramel sauce and a fanned strawberry.

  • 4

    To make the caramel sauce, place all ingredients into a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken.

notes

You can make one large pudding rather than 12 individual puddings if you prefer. Just increase the cooking time.