Got rhubarb on sale. Felt like having sticky dates pudding as well. Being keen to experiment and create, I have combined them together: the sweet sticky dates balance rhubarb’s sourness and rhubarb: when cooked with sugar; helps gel sticky dates. Instead of making two separate desserts: rhubarb pie, or tart and sticky dates pudding. Let’s make one dessert.

Google: “Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks of species and hybrids of Rheum in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The plant is an herbaceous perennial that grows from short, thick rhizomes. Historically, different plants have been called “rhubarb” in English. Maincrop rhubarb can sometimes have tough, stringy ribs, so after washing it, strip these off with a small, sharp knife and slice the stalk thinly or thickly as required.”

“Rhubarb has an extremely tart flavour that many find unpleasant. It’s crunchy like celery when raw, but it becomes soft and after it’s cooked. The sour flavour does mellow a little when cooked, but rhubarb is almost always mixed with sugar to counteract the lip-puckering taste. rim the entire leaf blade from the rhubarb stalk before using the stalk. The leaves contain the toxin oxalic acid, and only the stalks are safe to eat. It’s OK to eat rhubarb raw. When thinly sliced or diced, perhaps with a little sugar to mellow out its tart bite, it can add serious crunch to a dish and a bolt of tangy flavour.”

Google: “Sticky dates are one of the largest types of date fruit. The ripened wrinkly skin is a light reddish-brown colour and slightly sticky to touch. The soft texture of these juicy dates and their rich flavour makes sticky dates sweet, delicious to eat fresh. They are soft, delicious sweet dates with a rich taste and fibrous texture. Colour and size: They are amber to reddish-brown and are large to very large. They can be chopped up for a salad, blended into a smoothie, or even made into caramels. They don’t, however, actually need that much fussing to be enjoyed. All on their own, they make for a pretty good snack.”

I am glad I added rhubarb into my original plan of making just sticky dates pudding. At least I have vegetables intakes at the same time enjoying my dessert. My sticky dates rhubarb is delicious, and not heavy, satisfying and a great combination dessert you would make over and over again. Let’s bake, taste and see if this is your kind of dessert!!!!

Ingredients

225g dates, pitted and chopped
450 ml water
280 g self-raising flour, sifted
5 stalks of rhubarb, cut thinly
5 eggs
225g caster sugar
110 g soft butter
1 1/2 Tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tsp Frangelico

Caramel sauce

150 g brown sugar
250 ml pouring cream
200 g butter, chopped

Method

Preheat oven 180 degrees C. Grease a large 5cm-deep baking dish. Combine rhubarb, dates and water in a small saucepan over med heat. Cook for 5-8 mins or until rhubarb and dates are very soft.

Add bicarbonate and stir, and then set aside to cool. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, and then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Fold in vanilla, date, rhubarb mixture and then flour. Spoon mixture into dish and bake for 20 -25 mins or until springy to the touch.

Meanwhile, for caramel sauce, combine all ingredients in a small pan and stir over med heat until boiling. Simmer for 2 mins or until combined and glossy. Pour sauce over pudding and bake a further 5 mins. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or caramel sauce.

https://helenscchin.com/2015/04/14/sticky-dates-rhubarb-pudding/

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