1⁄2 cup pitted dates (about 5)
3⁄4 cup boiling water
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
Toffee Sauce (recipe follows)
1⁄2 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
11⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
TOFFEE SAUCE (Makes about 2 cups)
½ cup salted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
A few summers ago, our family went to Ireland and I had the best sticky toffee pudding I’d ever had. Granted, it was probably the second or third time I’d ever had the dessert, but it was one food memory of our trip that stands out. We had been driving all day to Dingle and, even though it was June, it was cold and rainy out. We were meeting the homeowner of the house we were renting at Murphy’s Pub, and after getting the keys to the house, we decided to sit down for an Irish coffee and something to eat. As soon as I saw sticky toffee pudding on the menu, I knew we had to order it. Perfectly spongy and just-from-the-oven warm, the small cake was drenched in a silky caramel sauce and was made even better by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I had to try and re-create the dessert at home. It’s actually quite an easy cake to make but nonetheless very impressive.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 8 (4-ounce) popover cups, ramekins, or custard molds.
Combine the dates, boiling water, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes. Process in a blender until smooth. Make the Toffee Sauce while the mixture stands.
Beat the mayonnaise, sugars, and salt in a mixer until fluffy. Stir together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the mayonnaise mixture alternately with the date mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared cups or molds. Bake the puddings at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes; unmold and top each serving with Toffee Sauce.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the cream and brown sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the vanilla.
Excerpted from the book THE DUKE’S MAYONNAISE COOKBOOK: 75 Recipes Celebrating the Perfect Condiment. Copyright © 2020 by Ashley Strickland Freeman. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.
The Charleston-based recipe developer and food stylist on her latest book, quarantine cooking, and sisterhood with Les Dames d’Escoffier
