According to research by famous custard makers Bird’s:

  • After apple crumble, our favourite pudding is sticky toffee, eaten once a year (as opposed to an average of 2.2 for apple crumble).
  • Scots eat the least traditional puddings, says Bird’s, while consumption of desserts is highest in the north of England.
  • Those most likely to eat the puddings are in the 45-65 age range, but the research suggested four million people would eat them regularly if they were on menus more often.
Sticky toffee pudding

(Serves 6-8)

Sponge:

  • 150g pitted dates, chopped
  • 250ml water
  • 2tsps bicarbonate of soda
  • 75g unsalted butter, diced
  • 125g light muscovado sugar
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 2tbsps golden syrup
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 200g plain flour, sifted

Sauce:

  • 100g dark muscovado sugar
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 150ml double cream
  • Double cream/creme fraiche to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170C fan/190C/Gas Mark 5 and butter a 27x18cm traybake or cake tin.

Bring the dates and water to the boil in a small pan and simmer over a low heat for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which will froth up.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor, add the eggs one at a time, and then the syrup, vanilla and flour. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and beat in the date mixture in two goes. Pour into the tin and bake for 25 minutes until the top is set and the cake is risen and shrinking from the sides.

Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat the sugar, butter and cream together in a small pan, whisking until smooth. Smooth half the sauce over the top of the cake and cut into squares. Offer the remaining sauce separately. Serve with plenty of cream.

Buttered pannetone pudding

(Serves 6)

You will need:

  • 3 medium eggs
  • 150g golden caster sugar
  • 425ml double cream
  • 425ml milk
  • Softened unsalted butter for spreading
  • 10-12 x 1cm slices panettone, cut as wedges from a 500g loaf
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 90g apricot jam, warmed and sieved (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C fan/180C/Gas Mark 4. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl, then whisk in the cream and milk. Butter the panettone and arrange in overlapping slices to cover the base of a 35cm (2.5 litre) oval gratin or other shallow ovenproof dish.

The centre of an oval dish may take two slices side by side; the narrow ends may hold only one. Pour the custard through a sieve over and around the panettone.

Tuck the vanilla pod beneath the custard in the centre.

Place the gratin dish in a roasting pan with cold water that comes two-thirds of the way up the sides. Bake for one hour until the custard is puffy and set, and the bread golden. Brush the surface of the bread with the apricot jam; this bit is optional but gives the pudding a lovely sticky glaze. Serve immediately.

The vanilla pod can be rinsed and used again.