Also known as “Sticky Date Pudding” in other parts of the
world, namely Australia where I first learned of this delicacy. In my mind, this
is probably the most quintessential cold-weather dessert I’ve ever encountered.
It’s warm, with hints of natural caramel in the dates themselves. Then you add
home-made caramel sauce, (or as I like to call it, nectar of the gods) over the
cake and that makes it into 'pudding'. If you’re like me and you want to live a
little, add home-made whipped cream on the side… ahh, heaven! Now, if you don’t
like dates, don’t worry. The dates are usually completely emulsified in the
batter of the cake portion of this pudding. Therefore, your lips will taste the
buttery flavor of the dates and bypass the chewy texture you may be averse to.
I have run across this delight on occasion since my time in
Aus. including a few adventures of my own trying to recreate it for myself. The
recipe I procured came from an old friend named, Lauren Ellis. She’s an Aussie
so it’s written in the metric system. (I imagine that’s how real chefs cook
world-wide anyway – I digress.) So here’s a recipe that is pretty darn close to
the one we used, but written in English measurements. Recipe: http://www.chow.com/recipes/10973-sticky-toffee-pudding
If however, you are looking to really indulge and you’d like
to take a trip to Atlanta, GA, there’s a wonderful place in the heart of
Buckhead called, King + Duke.
It’s really quite fantastic. I’ve dined there twice so far
and I wouldn’t mind returning soon. Even the bread they bring to the table is
surprisingly unique. It’s light, but not
flakey like a pastry, with a heavy egg base to the dough. The service has been
really and truly excellent both times. (And they’re not paying me to say this
either.) The atmosphere is definitely a
hit with friends. It’s warm and inviting – very early American with modern
finishes. Pretty much anything you get on the menu is going to be good, unless
it’s just a dish you already dislike, in which case, you might like the way K+D
prepare it. Oh
yeah, and when you’re ready to hit the dessert menu, three words: Sticky.
Toffee. Pudding. Along with the standard ample serving of caramel sauce, their version
is also served with a little creamsicle swirled in the caramel. This is of
course an amazing twist. You should definitely try it out!
Happy cool-weather days!
