Sticky Date Pudding with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chopped dates
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 125g butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups self raising flour
• 1 tsp Gregg's Ground Cinnamon

• Sauce

  • 300ml cream
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 50g butter
  • 1 Gregg's Cinnamon Quill
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the base of a 20 cm round cake tin.

Place the dates, baking soda and boiling water into a bowl. Stir then stand for 20 minutes.

Beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla essence until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the date mixture, then the sifted flour and Gregg's Ground Cinnamon.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine the cream, brown sugar, butter and Gregg's Cinnamon Quill in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, stirring, then boil for 6 to 8 minutes or until the sauce is golden brown and has thickened slightly. Stir in the vanilla essence. Remove the Gregg's Cinnamon Quill.

Remove the warm pudding from the tin and place on a serving plate. Pierce the top of the pudding all over with a skewer.  Pour over ½ cup of the sauce and stand for 5 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.