Sticky Date Pudding with Topaque Butterscotch Sauce
Sticky date pudding is one of those Australian desserts that needs no introduction and no improvement. It is warm, sweet, deeply satisfying and universally loved. It is also, as it turns out, capable of being made significantly better.
The secret is in the butterscotch sauce. Most recipes call for butter, cream and brown sugar, which produces a perfectly good result. Replace a portion of the cream with Rutherglen Topaque and the sauce becomes extraordinary. Topaque brings a cold tea, candied citrus and honey complexity that mirrors and amplifies the caramel character of the butterscotch in a way that feels like it was always supposed to be there.
Topaque (formerly known as Rutherglen Tokay) is one of the great underappreciated wines of the region: lighter and finer in style than Muscat, with a distinctive character of cold tea, toffee and candied orange that makes it a natural partner for anything with butterscotch, caramel or toffee. This recipe is perhaps the most compelling argument we know for keeping a bottle in the kitchen.
Serves 8. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 35 minutes.
Ingredients
For the pudding
● 200g pitted dates, roughly chopped
● 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
● 250ml boiling water
● 60g butter, softened
● 150g brown sugar
● 2 eggs
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
● 180g self-raising flour
● Pinch of salt
For the Topaque butterscotch sauce
● 150g butter
● 200g brown sugar
● 150ml double cream
● 80ml NV Classic Topaque
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
● Pinch of sea salt
To serve
● Good-quality vanilla ice cream or softly whipped double cream
● Extra Topaque to drizzle (optional but recommended)
Method
For the pudding
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm square baking tin or 8 individual pudding moulds.
2. Place the chopped dates in a bowl, add the bicarbonate of soda and pour over the boiling water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes until the dates are very soft. Mash roughly with a fork.
3. Beat the butter and brown sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the vanilla extract.
4. Fold in the flour and salt, then fold in the date mixture. The batter will be quite wet. Pour into the prepared tin or moulds.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for a large pudding, or 20 to 25 minutes for individual moulds, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
For the Topaque butterscotch sauce
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
7. Add the cream and Topaque and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly.
8. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.
9. Pour half the sauce over the warm pudding straight from the oven, allowing it to soak in. Reserve the rest to serve alongside.
To serve
10. Turn the pudding out onto a plate or serve directly from the tin. Pour over any remaining sauce and serve with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. A small extra drizzle of Topaque over the ice cream is the finishing touch worth taking.
Tip: The Topaque butterscotch sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to a week and reheats gently on the stove or in the microwave. It is also extraordinarily good over vanilla ice cream on its own, stirred through porridge on a cold morning, or drizzled over a cheese board. Make extra.
What to Drink With It
A small glass of NV Classic Topaque alongside this pudding is a natural pairing: the wine’s cold tea, honey and candied citrus character mirrors every element of the sauce. NV Grand Topaque is even better for a special occasion. Shop the Topaque range at stantonandkilleen.com.au.
