Pear and Chocolate Sticky Date Pudding

Preparation 25 minutes
Cooking time 1 hour
Serves 6

Melted butter for greasing
250g pitted dried dates
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 firm ripe pears
90g unsalted butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup brown sugar
300ml cream
Extra 100g unsalted butter
Cream to serve, (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a 20 cm springform tin with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. Chop dates with scissors dipped in hot water. Put dates and water in a medium heavy based saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in bicarb and stand until lukewarm.

Peel each pear , then cut into quarters and remove core. Cut each quarter into 3 slices. Arrange pear slices in the base of prepared tin. Using electric beaters, beat the butter, caster sugar and vanilla bean paste and eggs in a small bowl until light and creamy. Transfer the creamed butter mixture to a large bowl.

Sift flour and cocoa onto the creamed butter mixture. Add the cooled date mixture, then mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spoon the date mixture over the pears in the prepared tin. Smooth the top of the pudding and bake 40 - 45 minutes.

Put brown sugar, cream and extra butter in a small heavy based pan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer the sauce, uncovered for 3 - 4 minutes. Remove the pudding from the oven and pour over 1/2 cup of the hot sauce. Return pudding to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Serve the pudding hot, in wedges, with remaining sauce and cream if desired.

From Better Homes and Gardens.

I did things slightly differently as I was making this pudding after our guests had arrived and I was a bit distracted! I added the bicarb before boiling the dates, I also creamed the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon. I used vanilla essence instead of paste and thought the mixture was a bit dry after adding the dry ingredients at which point I remembered to add the eggs. Despite all this it worked out well and was delicious!