This Irresistible Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Sauce and Mincemeat Ice Cream is the perfect ending to any festive holiday meal (Thermomix recipe, also available)
Preheat oven to 375°F; butter and flour 12 mini muffin cups (2 inches deep), knocking out excess flour (I use a mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms and get exactly 24 puddings from one batch)
Weigh 400 grams water and 280 grams pitted dates into TM mixing bowl; chop dates at 15 seconds on speed 5
Simmer for 5 minutes at 60ºC on speed 2; remove to another bowl
Add baking soda to date mixture (mixture will foam) and rest for 20 minutes; clean and dry TM mixing bowl
Measure and flour, ginger, baking powder and salt into a small separate bowl
Weigh room temperature butter and sugar into clean TM mixing bowl and combine for 2-3 seconds on speed 5
Set time for 1 minute and speed to 4; add eggs one at a time through hole in TM mixing bowl lid
Add set aside date mixture to sugar-butter ingredients in TM mixing bowl; combine for 5 seconds from speed 3
Sift pre-weighed dry ingredients over wet ingredients in TM mixing bowl and fold into the wet mixture just until combined by hand with a spatula, or very gently for 5 seconds from speed 1-3.
Place less than 1/4 cup batter into individual baking cups 2/3 - to 3/4 full as mixture will rise considerably
Bake for 13-16 minutes, depending upon oven; cool pudding to warm on a rack (about 5 minutes) and remove to continue cooling
Store in a sealed container until ready to use or freeze until needed
Preheat oven to 375°F; butter and flour 12 mini muffin cups (2 inches deep), knocking out excess flour (I use a mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms and get exactly 24 puddings from one batch)
Coarsely chop dates and simmer in water, uncovered, for 5 minutes in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan
Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will foam); rest for 20 minutes
Sift flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt together into a small bowl
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition
Add date mixture after 20 minutes are up and combine until fully incorporated
Add flour mixture in 3 batches, gently incorporating after each addition until just combined
Place less than 1/4 cup batter into individual baking cups 2/3 to 3/4 full as batter will rise considerably
Melt room temperature butter in TM mixing bowl for 5 minutes at 60ºC on speed 2 (add 2.5 minutes if butter is cold)
Weigh brown sugar into TM mixing bowl and cook 20 minutes at Varoma on speed 2
Weigh cream and vanilla into TM bowl; simmer for 15 minutes at 90ºC on speed 1, until thickened
Re-heat sauce in water bath on stove top and puddings (in microwave) before service; pour sauce over each individual portion of pudding, add ice cream and garnish with mint
Bring mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally; check for hard set on ice cube (does not take very long)
Re-heat sauce in water bath on stove top and puddings (in microwave) before service; pour sauce over each individual portion of pudding, add ice cream and garnish with mint
Make the Toffee Sauce first, as some of it must be poured over the partially baked puddings