Walnut And Date Pudding
When you've had a bad day and everything seems to have gone wrong, or when simply feeling a little low, there's nothing like a
pudding that's stood the test of time, like this one, to calm you down, buck you up and put things back into perspective.
INGREDIENTS:
175 G/6 OZ STONED DATES,
COARSELY CHOPPED
115 ml/4 FL OZ BOILING WATER
2 EGGS, SEPARATED
55 G/2 OZ LIGHT
MUSCOVADO SUGAR 85 C/3 OZ UNSALTED BUTTER, DICED
2 TBSP MAPLE SYRUP OR GOLDEN SYRUP
175 G/6 OZ PLAIN FLOUR
1 I/2 TSP BAKING POWDER
FEW DROPS VANILLA ESSENCE
85 G/3 OZ WALNUTS,
ROUGHLY CHOPPED
DIRECTIONS:
Set the oven to I8O'C/350°F/Gas 1. Rutter a 1.2 litre/2 pint ovenproof dish. Put the dates in a bowl, pour over the boiling water, stir and leave to cool.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and fluffy. In a small saucepan, gently warm together the butter and syrup until the butter has melted. Allow it to cool slightly if very warm. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold the flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture with the syrup mixture, vanilla essence, walnuts and dates and their soaking liquid. In a clean, dry lx)wl, whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry, then, using a large metal spoon, gently fold into the date mixture.
Pour into the dish and bake fOr about I hour until the pudding is springy to the touch in the centre.
