Sticky toffee pudding

My 2012 cookfest continues with yummy sticky toffee pudding. Before you do anything, get the oven heated to 180°C. First up, put 75g sultanas and 150g chopped stone dates into a heatproof bowl with a tablespoon of bicarbonate soda. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak.

In another bowl, add 2 tablespoons of butter to 200g brown sugar and mix well. Beat in two eggs, then add 200g self-raising flour. Once the mixture is nice and smooth, soak the fruits and add them to the mixture.

Once mixed in, spoon the mixture into a greased 8-inch cake tin. You can just use butter to grease the tin. Cook for about 35 minutes.

To make the sticky toffee sauce, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, then stir in 175ml double cream and 200g brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat. Voila! You're done. Plate up a piece of the pudding, drizzle over the sticky toffee sauce and enjoy on its own or with cream or ice-cream - it's up to you. Enjoy!