1. Put the dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat. Add the bicarb, stir and set aside. You will see it froth up quite a bit.

2. Preheat the oven to 180° Lightly grease 4 ramikins and cut round discs from some baking paper. Grease and fit into the bottom of the ramikins. Boil a jug of water.

3. Beat butter and sugar in a mixer bowl using the K attachment till smooth and creamy. Add in the egg and continue to beat for another 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the date mixture and fold to combine. Add the flour and fold to combine. Fill the ramikins 2/3 full with this mixture.

5. Place the ramikins into a baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it comes 2/3 up the sides of the ramikins. Bake in the 180°oven for 40 minutes.

6. Praline: Scatter some almond slivers ( not too many ) onto a sheet of baking paper set on a tray.
Combine the caster sugar, vinegar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until it  changes colour. Let cool for a minute or so holding the saucepan at an angle so as to have a bigger pool of toffee. When no more bubbles appear pour over the almond slivers and tilt and swirl the baking tray to flow the toffee around the almonds and thin it out. I think its best if the almond slivers are proud of the toffee. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

7. Toffee sauce. Combine the butter, sugar, cream and vanilla in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Get the heat right and it should foam half way up the saucepan and just bubble away nicely. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

8. To serve, trim the excess pudding higher than the ramikin. Invert the hot pudding onto a serving plate. Remove the paper disc. Let stand a few minutes to solidify. Use a brush and paint on a coating of sauce and stand a few minutes. Insert a sliver of praline and top with the remaining sauce.

120g pitted dates cut into thirds
175ml water
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

110g brown sugar
40g salted butter
1 egg (large)
90g self-raising flour

Butterscotch sauce::
25g salted butter
110g brown sugar
125ml pouring cream
5ml vanilla extract

Optional::
Almond Praline
55g caster sugar
20ml water
10ml white vinegar

15g slivered almonds


Whipped cream and Vanilla Ice cream to serve.

This is a classic dessert that is a standard feature on a lot of restaurant menus. You can get it right off the supermarket shelf and heat it in a microwave, and its not that bad. So, if you are going to cook one yourself it needs to be a knock out version. I have cooked this a lot and slowly, piece by piece, got the best version I or anyone I know has eaten anywhere.

The right flavours and texture in the pudding. A rich thick butterscotch sauce and thin glass like praline. My sauce has guts and depth of texture and flavour. Far better than the 2 minute thin caramel sauce. Everybody comments how good it is.  A bit more butter and cream and a longer more agressive cooking technique.

A lot of restaurant versions are 90% premade and then heated at service. OK. It becomes a bit cakey as it rests and sets. No too bad. However, my version is a lot softer and fluffier. This dessert in some ways is a lot like a souffle. You need to make it, bake it and eat it in one session. Let it set and the texture hardens.