Sticky Toffee Pudding (V)

You should know this one. As soon as you mention the name it makes your mouth water. Follow this simple recipe and enjoy something sticky, sweet and incredibly naughty.

Serves 6- 8

250g Dates, chopped

250ml Boiling Water

200g Self Raising Flour, plus extra for greasing

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 Large Eggs

100ml Whole Milk

125g Unsalted Butter, cubed at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

150g Dark Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Black Treacle

1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste/Essence/Extract

Toffee Sauce

50g Unsalted Butter

175g Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Black Treacle

250ml Double Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan assisted. Grease a 2lb Loaf tin with the butter and flour so the sticky toffee pudding comes out easier. Soak the dates in the boiling water for 30 minutes so the fruit plumps up.

2. In the meantime, in a mixing bowl mix the flour and bicarb of soda. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and milk, mix until combined.

3. In another bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the treacle and combine. Add the treacle mixture to the flour mixture and mix until fully combined. 

4. Drain the dates and add the vanilla and mash them up. Add these to the pudding mixture. It should give a light brown colour. Tip into loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Should be cooked through. 

4. While the pudding is baking in the oven, make the toffee sauce. In a small pan. Melt the butter over a medium heat. Then once melted, add the sugar and black treacle and stir. Gradually add the cream while stirring. Allow it to bubble away for a couple of minutes and take off the heat. 

Tips:

- Make in advance and warm the sauce in the pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes and the pudding in the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.

- OR cheat by taking a slice and drizzling the toffee sauce and putting in microwave for about 30 seconds.

Toffee Sauce

Eyeball Truffles (V)

Happy Halloween! Keep your eye out for these.

I have my eye on you

Makes about 20-22 (Depending on the size of the eyes)

200g Plain Sponge (eg Madeira or Victoria Sponge)
150g Oreo Biscuits
150g Dark Chocolate
50g Butter
250g White Chocolate

Decoration
Red Gel Food Colouring
Black Gel Food Colouring
Strawberry Laces
Sugar-coated chocolate confectionery (don't want to say brand, but we all know what I mean)

1. Blitz the sponge and biscuits together, in a food processor,  until they resemble crumbs.

2. Add the melted butter and milk chocolate to the food processor. And blend until the mixture sticks together.

3. Form the mixture into balls and place on a plate and put in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

4. Boil some water in a pan and place a bowl on top with the white chocolate in it. Reduce the heat of the pan and melt slowly so the chocolate doesn't end up grainy.

5. Cover the chocolate balls in the white chocolate and place on a cooling rack so the excess drips off (put a piece of grease proof paper to make it easier to clean up).

6. For the sugar-coated chocolate confectionery put a drop of black gel for the pupils. While the white chocolate is still warm place the sweet on the truffle. Then leave the balls to cool.

7. For the laces, this will be the veins. Take 3 laces and wrap one them around the other two. Snip them so they are approximately 5cms in length. Warm up a teaspoon (I placed it in a mug of warm water and dried it) then melt the side which is opposite the sweet and place the laces on the chocolate and allow it to cool off.

8. Finish off the look by making the eyes blood shot, by using the red gel food colouring. If you run out and want to make the eyes gory, squeeze the tube and the remains will splatter over the eyes giving it a bloody effect.