Perfect Sticky Toffee Pudding. British comfort food! NEW RECIPE VIDEO!!! (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between sticky date pudding and sticky toffee pudding? ›

Sticky toffee pudding, known as sticky date pudding in Australia and New Zealand, is a British dessert consisting of a moist sponge cake made with finely chopped dates (optional), covered in a toffee sauce and often served with a vanilla custard or vanilla ice-cream.

Unfortunately though these type of self-saucing puddings do not reheat very well as the sauce tends to thicken and be absorbed by the sponge as the pudding cools. So when you reheat the pudding it will have a sticky base but with very little sauce.

Our answer

However, it is possible to bake the sponge up to one hour in advance, spoon some sauce over the top and then leave it to stand in a warm place for up to one hour before serving. You may need to warm the extra sauce gently again before serving with the sponge.

Traditional British puddings like treacle sponge, jam roly poly, spotted dick, trifle, rice pud are the greatest dishes in the world. If you thought that English food was bland and unappetising. you haven't properly studied the dessert section of any self respecting London restaurant menu…

The bicarbonate of soda in the recipe has two roles. Firstly, because dates have a thickish, leathery skin, they need to be softened when using in a cake. Soaking them for 30 minutes not only breaks this skin down but the whole dates become slightly jammy.

Although its origins are unclear, it was likely invented during the 20th century in the Lake District of northwest England, from where its popularity spread across the country.

If you have leftovers then these can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the sauce and sponge separately. You could freeze leftover portions of the pudding in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Freeze the sauce in a separate airtight container.

It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.

If you can't get either molasses or treacle then you could use golden syrup or dark corn syrup as an alternative. Otherwise we suggest using 20g of extra brown sugar in the sponge and an extra 10g in the sauce.

So, the humble apple crumble clinched the top spot, pipping Vicky sponge to claim the title as the UK's favourite dessert. And who could blame Brits for being besotted by this classic British pud?

What is the oldest English dessert? ›

What is the oldest English dessert? Its probably Syllabub, a sweet cream dessert with a slightly gelatinous second part. The recipe goes back at least as far as the 16th Century. Whisk all the ingredients together until the syllabub just holds its shape.

American puddings are closer to what the Brits would call "custard." A British pudding is a dish, savory or sweet, that's cooked by being boiled or steamed in something: a dish, a piece of cloth, or even animal intestine.

The warm dessert is, yes, sticky from both dates and the accompanying butterscotch sauce. That same sauce, with its dark, caramelized sugars, is toffee in liquid form.

The addition of dates soaked in tea creates a moist pudding, which, when served with the rich toffee sauce, provides the best combination for a winter pudding.

Toffee vs Caramel

The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.

The difference between caramel and toffee is greater, as caramel has a more liquid consistency and is usually pure sugar (it doesn't contain butter or flour). Still, the taste of caramel, fudge, and toffee is relatively similar, as they are all made from mostly sugar (as well as butter in the case of fudge and toffee).