Birthday celebration with a twist

Wow my family and go all out this birthday with sticky dates pudding instead of a cake: surprise my sisters and family and making our family Christmas dessert centrepiece into birthday celebration. I am talking my dad favourite dessert. This year he had requested sticky dates pudding. So, I have made it special for good times, food from the heart and everyone will have a satisfying stomach.

Sticky dates pudding can be ultimate birthday celebration food. I have added marsala and molasses to take a sweet Italian ingredient to a new level. The results? One very warm dessert to serve for Birthday or any occasion. I have got delicious, comforting, satisfying dessert to make it memorable.

Google: “Marsala is a fortified wine, dry or sweet, produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. Marsala first received Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status in 1969. Marsala contains about 15–20% alcohol by volume. Marsala wine is frequently used in cooking, and is especially prevalent in dishes served in Italian restaurants. Sweet Marsala wine is used to produce rich Italian desserts such as zabaione and shortcake.”

I am glad to make one and a half recipe. Everyone did get a second piece. My family enjoyed it and saying it’s so moist, sweet flavour, delicious even though everyone was full from our steamboat dinner. Yet there is a place in our stomach for it. Happy Birthday dad, and you got your wish granted a sticky dates pudding with love from me to you. Let’s bake with love for my dad to have a birthday celebration!!!!!

Ingredients

380 g pitted dates, chopped
340 g sifted self raising flour, plus extra 40-50 g
600 ml water
100 ml marsala wine
1 Tsp bicarb soda
150 g butter salted, softened
300 g castor sugar
5 large eggs
1 Tsp vanilla extract
molasses

Marsala molasses caramel sauce

225 g dark brown sugar
375 ml Vanilla custard
300 butter, chopped

Method

Preheat oven 180 degrees C. Grease baking tray with 5 cm deep. Combine dates with water, marsala and molasses in a pot over medium heat. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until dates are very soft. Add bicarb soda and stir, then set aside to cool.

Beat butter and sugar until thick and pale then add egg one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, dates mixture and 340 g flour first. If too liquid add extra 40 g flour. Batter should be cake consistency. Spoon into prepared baking tray. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until springy to the touch.

Makes caramel sauce: combine all the caramel ingredients in the same pot you had use for to cook the dates. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Simmer for about 3 minutes or until combined and glossy.

Once pudding is cooked or skewer out clean, remove sticky dates from oven. Make holes with a chopstick all around the sticky dates. Make sure it seeps in the holes and the sides. Bake a further 5-8 minutes until caramel bubbling. Serve hot or warm with thickened cream, ice cream or custard. Enjoy with coffee, tea or dessert wine.

Note: Oven temperature vary. You might need less or more time. You can omit marsala, use brandy if you like. You can omit molasses, use honey or salt to make it salted caramel. You might want to use a bit less water about 450-500 ml. You might want to use thickened cream instead of vanilla.

https://helenscchin.com/2023/05/26/sticky-dates-pudding-with-marsala-molasses-caramel-sauce/

#helenscchinrecipes
#awesomedessertandentrees
#cookingforthefun
#foodiesplus