Rich caramel flavours, sweet date and a sticky pecan topping guarantee this dessert will become a favourite. It can also be made in the oven or microwave.

Ingredients

Pecan Sauce

• 125 grams butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cream
• 70 gram packet peanuts

Pudding

• 1½ cups chopped dried dates
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp coffee granules
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 175 grams butter, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cups self-raising flour

Method

Pecan Sauce

1. Prepare the pecan sauce by combining the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and simmering together for 5 minutes.
2. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of sauce into the base of a well-greased 8-cup capacity pudding bowl. Arrange half the pecans in the base. Combine the remaining pecans with the remaining sauce and set aside.

Pudding

1. Combine the dates, water, coffee, vanilla essence and baking soda in a large bowl. Allow to stand for 20 minutes or until cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved. Add the eggs, beating well with each addition. Gently fold in the date mixture, then sift and fold in the flour. The batter should be very sloppy.
3. Spoon the pudding mixture on top of the pecan sauce. Cover the bowl with 2 sheets of pleated baking paper and tie with string.
4. Sit the pudding on a trivet (an upturned saucer will suffice) in a large saucepan half full of boiling water. The water should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pudding bowl.
5. Cover the pot and keep at a gentle boil for 2 hours. Replenish the water level with boiling water from the kettle during cooking.
6. Remove the pot carefully from the heat, remove the paper and turn out the pudding onto a large serving platter. Pour over the remaining warm pecan sauce. Serve pudding with extra cream.

Cooks Tips

To make this dish in the oven, prepare the pudding mixture only (not the pecan sauce), then pour it into a well-greased and floured 23cm ring tin. Bake at 180ºC for 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Make the pecan sauce while the cooked pudding stands. To serve, turn the pudding out onto a large heatproof dish and pour the sauce over the top. To make this dish in the microwave, place pudding mixture into a well-greased 8-cup capacity round microwave-proof dish. Don't cover. Microwave on 70 per cent power for 14-15 minutes. The top of the pudding will be a little uncooked, but touching should reveal cooked cake mix underneath. Stand for 2-3 minutes before serving with the pecan sauce. (This recipe was tested in an 850-watt microwave oven. Adjust the cooking time for a higher wattage microwave).