If you are a bit behind, you can catch up on week 1 (cakes), 2 (biscuits), and 3 (bread). This week’s challenge was classic English puddings, and it was very dramatic. When it came to making identical puddings as the first challenge, I took a page out of my favourite contestant Norman’s book and made sticky toffee puddings for several reasons. One being that they are Sam’s favourite dessert, the other being that sticky toffee is just about as British as it gets, right?
My guest judge this week was a little heart-broken with all the negativity directed towards Bake Off contestants this week, but she soldiered on to crown a victor!
(Adapted from James’)
Ingredients:
(For cakes)
55 g unsalted butter
170 g light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
2 tablespoons of black treacle
2 eggs
200 g self-raising flour
200 g pitted dates
290 ml boiling water
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
(For the sauce)
110 ml of heavy cream
55 g butter (diced)
55g dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons of black treacle
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F), and grease your pudding moulds really well. Cream the butter and sugar together (for the cakes) until pale and fluffy. Then add in the golden syrup, treacle and eggs and mix until smooth. Then add the flour in a little at a time and mix throughly until well combined.
In a food processor, blend your pitted dates and boiling water until they make a smooth paste. Then mix in the baking soda and vanilla. Add the date mixture to the cake mixture and stir thoroughly! Pour your batter into the pudding moulds and bake for 20-25 minutes. (25 minutes was perfect in our oven which is a tad cold.)
Whilst the puddings are baking prepare your sauce. Heat all the ingredients in a pan, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat when it’s reached boiling.
To serve, remove the puddings from the moulds gently and spoon a very generous amount of the sauce over. I recommend serving your sticky toffee pudding with a side of vanilla ice cream.
Fresh from the oven.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a contestant who was really, really unhappy with his baked alaska…..
He ran outside the tent with it….
And thoroughly destroyed it!
But the show must go on. Mary Berry entered for the judging.
I won this week! Back on top!!!!!
Stay tuned next week for pies and tarts!
