Kate Middleton’s Favourite Sticky Date Pudding Recipe

Kate Middleton’s Favourite Sticky Date Pudding
Who doesn’t love a sticky date pudding? Kate Middleton can’t resist this classic recipe from one of her favourite restaurants, The Old Boot Inn in her hometown of Berkshire, England – and it’s apparently a favourite of Prince William’s, too.
This cozy restaurant has been a Middleton family favourite for years. “Since the relaunch of the restaurant Kate and her family have been dining with us on a monthly basis for lunch and dinner,” chef Rody Warot told People Magazine. “Kate is very discreet and has always complimented the dishes with extreme kindness…her favourite [dessert] is sticky toffee pudding.”
Serves 6-8
8 oz. pitted dates, chopped
1¼ cups boiling water
½ cup softened buttered (3½ tbsp. for batter, use the rest to butter the pan
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. black treacle or dark molasses
1 tbsp. Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups self-raising flour
1 tbsp. baking soda
For Toffee Sauce
½ cup caster sugar
7 tbsp. butter
180ml double cream
1. In a bowl, cover dates with boiling water. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 190C. Place a roasting pan filled with about 2cm of water into the oven.
3. Butter a 21cm square pan. Dust with flour. In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 3½ tbsp. butter with sugar until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add treacle, Golden Syrup and vanilla. Mix until just combined. On low speed, add the flour.
4. In a food processor, puree the dates. Stir in the baking soda and stir the mixture into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Place in roasting pan and bake about 35 minutes until top is just firm. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar and butter until mixture turns a deep amber color. Watch closely so it does not burn. Slowly mix in the double cream. Be careful: It will bubble up at first. Once all the cream is added, cook mixture until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Cut cake into squares and serve with sauce and vanilla ice cream.
What’s your favourite dessert?