medjool date and coffee pudding with coffee rum sauce

Serves 8
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour

175g pack pitted medjool dates, finely chopped
1 tbsp good quality instant coffee
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175ml boiling water
100g butter, softened
85g golden caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
175g self-raising flour

Butter an AGA terrine dish and put to one side.

Put the dates into a basin. Combine the coffee, bicarbonate and boiling water and pour over the dates. Leave to soak while you get on with the sponge.

Using a hand blender, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add 1 egg at a time, beating between each addition. Fold in the flour until well combined. Pour in the date and coffee mixture, stir well and pour into the buttered AGA terrine dish.

2 oven AGA: Place the terrine dish in the half-size roasting tin and slide onto the lowest set of runners in the Roasting Oven. Slide the cold plain shelf onto the second runners down and cook for 20 minutes then transfer the terrine dish still in the tin, to the centre of the Simmering Oven for another 30 minutes, until cooked.
3 and 4 oven AGA: Cook on the grid shelf placed on the floor of the Baking Oven for about 55 minutes or until golden, risen and cooked throughout.
Conventional cooker: Pre-heat oven to 150 °C (300°F) and cook for about 55 minutes or until golden, risen and cooked throughout. Meanwhile, place the butter and dark soft brown sugar in a pan and bring to the boil for 5 minutes on the Boiling Plate, stirring constantly. Once it is smooth, dark and glossy, remove from the heat and briskly whisk in the cream, coffee and rum until smooth and creamy.

Remove the pudding from the oven and carefully turn out onto a serving dish. Slice and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a good drizzle of sauce.