Name: Date puddings with sesame ice-cream and salted caramel
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: Pudding; 450 ml milk; 375 gm pitted dates, coarsely chopped; Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 120 gm softened butter; 220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar; 3 eggs; 225 gm self-raising flour, sieved; Pinch each of ground allspice and ground cinnamon; Sesame ice-cream; 80 gm sesame seeds; 500 ml (2 cups) milk; 3 tsp tahini; 250 ml (1 cup) pouring cream; 6 egg yolks; 120 gm caster sugar; Salted caramel; 275 gm caster sugar; 180 ml pouring cream; 50 gm unsalted butter

Date puddings with sesame ice-cream and salted caramel

These rich little puddings have been adapted from one of Neil Perry's classic sticky date recipes to feature a deliciously surprising sesame hit.

A circular date pudding topped with a scoop of sesame ice-cream and drizzled with salted caramel. A pot of salted caramel featured behind, and a bowl of toasted sesame seeds. — Stickey date pudding

Makes 6

Prep

30M

Cook

Total

1H 30M

Combining classic sticky date pudding warmth and spice with a cool sesame ice cream, this pudding will transport your tastebuds to the fragrant Middle East. Add a drizzle of salted caramel, and this pudding and ice-cream combination are a match made in heaven.

Ingredients

Pudding

450 ml milk

375 gm pitted dates, coarsely chopped

Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

120 gm softened butter

220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar

3 eggs

225 gm self-raising flour, sieved

Pinch each of ground allspice and ground cinnamon

Sesame ice-cream

80 gm sesame seeds

500 ml (2 cups) milk

3 tsp tahini

250 ml (1 cup) pouring cream

6 egg yolks

120 gm caster sugar

Salted caramel

275 gm caster sugar

180 ml pouring cream

50 gm unsalted butter

Method

1.For sesame ice-cream, preheat oven to 170C. Spread sesame seeds on an oven tray and roast, stirring occasionally, until light golden (3-5 minutes). Transfer to a saucepan (reserve 1 tsp for serving), add milk and tahini, stir to combine and bring to the boil. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate to infuse (2 hours). Strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, add cream and bring to the boil. Meanwhile whisk yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale. Add cream mixture and stir to combine, then return to pan and stir continuously over low heat until mixture coats a wooden spoon thickly (5-10 minutes). Transfer to a chilled bowl placed over ice and stir occasionally until cool, then freeze in an ice-cream machine. Freeze until required. Makes about 1 litre.

2.For salted caramel, combine sugar and 100ml water in a saucepan, bring to the boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, then brush down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and cook until dark caramel (10-15 minutes). Add cream, butter and half a teaspoon of fine sea salt (be careful, hot caramel will spit), stir until dissolved (1 minute) and set aside.

3.Combine milk, dates and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil, remove from heat, add bicarbonate of soda and set aside to cool (1 hour).

4.Preheat oven to 175C. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until smooth, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, spices and date mixture and mix to just combine. Divide among 6 buttered and floured 9cm-diametre cake tins, tap tins on bench to level, then bake on a tray, turning occasionally, until cakes are golden and spring back when touched (30-40 minutes). Cool slightly, then turn out onto plates or serve warm in tins, with a scoop of sesame ice-cream topped with salted caramel (see note) and scattered with sesame seeds.