Vegan Sticky Date Pudding Recipes

VEGAN STICKY DATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C-Gas5.
• Chop the dates in half and put them in a small saucepan and cover with the soya milk and water; simmer until the dates are soft.
• Take off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which will froth as you add it to the date mixture. Leave to cool.
• Beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and creamy.
• Add the date mixture and stir.
• Mix the spices into the flour. Sieve the flour and fold into the sponge mixture.
• Spoon the sponge mixture into a 20cm x 20cm tin.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked and the sponge bounces back when pressed.
• To make the sauce: melt the syrup, margarine, sugar and vanilla essence in a small saucepan; simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.
• Prick the pudding all over and pour half the hot toffee sauce over the pudding. Serve the rest of the sauce with the pudding.
• It freezes well, cut into individual servings and place in the freezer. Defrost in the microwave for 2 minutes.

STICKY TOFFEE PEAR PUDDING

Steps:

• Peel the pears and cut the bottom off each to give a flat base - cut them to a height that will fit snugly in your tin. Use a melon baller or small knife to cut out the pips from the base. Roughly chop the pear scraps, discarding the pips, and set aside. Tip the sugar, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, zests and 600ml water into a saucepan large enough to fit all the pears. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears, cover with a lid or a piece of baking parchment, and poach gently for 15 mins until a knife easily slides into a pear. Leave to cool in the liquid.
• Now make the sponge. Put the dates and linseeds in a saucepan and add the almond milk. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 2-3 mins until the dates are soft. Pour into a food processer and blitz until smooth. Add the oil and blend again, then scrape into a bowl and set aside to cool a little. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin (a loose -bottomed one if possible) with a strip of baking parchment.
• Put the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with 1/ 2 tsp salt. Mix well, breaking up any lumps of sugar with your fingers, and shaking the bowl a few times to encourage any remaining lumps to come to the surface. Add the date and oil mixture, and stir well. Fold in the chopped pear scraps. Scrape the cake mixture into the tin, then nestle in the pears, standing straight up, so that the bottom halves are covered. Bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is cooked through. Insert a skewer to the centre to check - it should come out clean. If there is any wet cake mixture on the skewer, return the cake to the oven and bake for 10 mins more, then check again.
• Meanwhile, bring the pear poaching liquid back to the boil and simmer until reduced to a glossy syrup. When the pudding is cooked, cool for 5-10 mins, then brush all over with the syrup, saving a little extra to serve alongside, with vegan ice cream, if you like.