Sticky toffee pudding

Now this is one of my all time favourite classic puddings..  Warm, fluffy, sticky sponge with lashings of toffee sauce and delicious nuggets of caramelised dates.

Thanks to being stuck indoors due to the nasty virus that's floating around, I have a lot more time on my hands as of now for the forseeable future so I thought I would not only blog my recipe but share a  video tutorial on Instagram. If you're on instagram you can find me at misbi_makes and you'll find the recipe in my highlights


To make my version of sticky pudding you will need

For the sponge :

200g dates chopped
200ml fresh kettle boiled water
1 level tsp bicarbonate soda
75g unsalted butter
2 tsp black treacle
25g soft light brown sugar
25g soft dark brown sugar
3 medium eggs
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

For the sauce:

150g butter
300g dark brown sugar
1 tbsp treacle
200ml double cream

• Start by preheating your oven to 160c fan. Grease and line a 9x9 inch square baking tin
• Place the chopped dates into a bowl, with the boiled water and bicarbonate soda and set aside
• Cream both sugars and the butter till light and fluffy, add in the treacle and whisk until smooth
• Add in the eggs, flour, baking powder , gently whisking on a slow speed till you end up with a smooth  thick batter
• Gently mash the soaked dates, then pour them into the batter along with the water they've been soaking in.
• Pour the batter into the baking tin, bake for 30-40 minutes .. you'll know the cake is done if a skewer inserted comes out clean or the edges of the cake have slightly come away from the tin.
• Whilst the cake is baking, make the toffee sauce by melting the butter, sugar and treacle on a meduim heat. Turn up the heat once everything has melted and pour in all the cream, whisking ( quickly but carefully ) as you pour and take off the heat as it comes to boil
• As soon as you take the cake out the oven, poke small holes all over the top of the cake using a tooth pick. 
• Pour enough sauce to cover the top of the cake, using a spatula to spread it all the way to the edges
• Cover the remaining sauce and let the cake cool for about 15-20 minutes,  then serve the cake with the reserved sauce drizzled on top. Serve with ice cream for an even naughtier treat

Greek yogurt & fresh fig pavlova with honey & rose water

Anyone that knows me well enough should know that I've got a real sweet tooth & that I can never resist a meringue based dessert.

Imagine how ecstatic I was when I came across the Meringue Girls, they have taken meringues to a whole new level with creations that you wouldn't have even thought possible.

This post shares one of their amazing recipes from their book which of course I obviously have... A pavlova topped with fresh figs, Greek yoghurt & a delicate addition of rose water .. It is absolutely amazing ! 

For the pavlova you will need:

5 medium whites

300g caster sugar

For the topping you will need :

100g green pistachios ( optional ).

1tbsp rosewater

8 fresh figs

300g greek yoghurt

4 tbsp runny honey

• The first thing is to make the meringue to form your pavlova. Start by lining a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
• Preheat your oven to 200c/ Gas 6 line a small roasting tray with greaseproof paper, pour in the caster sugar and bake in the oven  for about 5 minutes till the edges are just begininng to melt a little.
• While your sugar is baking, pour your egg whites into a free standing mixer bowl or a plastic bowl if using a hand held electrical whisk. Whisk on a low speed so you get small little bubbles forming
• Turn up the speed a little once the bubbles have formed and whisk until stiff white peaks form - you should be able to tip the bowl over without the whites falling out.
• Next step is to add the sugar, with the whites still whisking remove the sugar from the oven - the sugar should feel hot when touched (& lower the oven temperature to 100c) and add it to the whites a spoonful at a time. 
• Once all the sugar has been incorporated carry on whisking the whites for another 5-7 minutes. Check a small amount of the mixture between your fingers, it should be smooth. If its a little grainy, whisk for another couple of minutes. 
• The mixture will be ready when a small amount of it forms a smooth stiff peak on the tip of your upturned finger
• Grind half of the pistachios and add them to the merge mix along with the rosewater. Fold it together as quick as you can but remember to be gentle- you don't want to knock out that air that will give your pavlova the volume
• Spoon the meringue mixture onto your earlier lined baking sheet and mould into a nest like circle, about 10 inches wide. Use the back of the spoon to make a slight dip in the centre.
• Sprinkle the rest of the ground pistachios on top of the nest and bake in the the oven for 2 hours
• The pavlova should come away from the paper easily & base will be firm. Leave to cool completely
• When you're ready to serve, cut your figs into quarters and roughly chop the remaining 100g of , pistachios.
• Place your pavlova onto a serving dish, spoon in the greek yoghurt into the middle of the pavlova, let it run down the sides and add the figs, sprinkle with the chopped pistachios, drizzle over the honey and serve 

For a little inspiration you can check out the girls YouTube account here , as well as their instagram account  and their official website  too .. You will not be dissapointed I promise