Critiquing Ourselves

We found a recipe online and decided to give it a go:

You need:
1 1/4 cups pitted dates
1 cup water
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
60g table margerine
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups SR flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Butterscotch sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
150ml cream
125g butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Method:
1. Check oven shelf position (middle shelf) and turn on oven to 180C. Grease and flour muffin trays.
2. Measure dates and chop into small pieces. Put into suacepan.
3. Measure water into saucepan and place on stove.
4. Bring dates and water to boil, reduce heat and simmer until dates are mushy.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Beat eggs. Measure table marg.
7. Measure and sift flour and bi-carb soda onto plate.
8. Measure and add sugar and vanilla to date mixture. Add marg.
9. Add eggs gradually, stirring well after each addition. Fold in flour and soda with a wooden spoon.
10. Spoon mixture into muffin tins and bake for 12-15 minutes.
11. Turn out muffins onto cake cooler. Cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm.

Butterscotch sauce
1. Measure sugar, cream, butter and vanilla into a saucepan.
2. Combine all ingredients - bring to boil while stirring.
3. Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Keep warm in a jug.

Serving Suggestion: Place one sticky date pudding onto a small plate. Pour a little butterscotch sauce over pudding, place a scoop of icecream beside pudding and garnish with mint leaves.

It was yummy. We have a lot of little sticky date muffins now. It could be darker in color. More dates next time, but making it was great. The smell was incredible. Even before we added all the sugar and stuff. Yum-may

We'll have to give another go sometime.

Friendly Sticky Date BBQ Dessert

This particular little SDP was eaten on Anzac Day, which is traditionally a biscuit day, but I think that SDP is a suitably Aussie substitute, nonetheless. And, to top it off, home made by a friend. It was more a sticky data cake, cooked in a large tray and then cut up for sharing. Even the butterscotch sauce was brought along in a separate container to pour out over the delicious little pieces. Just the treat after waiting for an hour and a half for a sausage to cook on a public BBQ. Obviously we couldn't warm either the cake or the sauce, but very very tasty.

Yeah Maan SDP

Yeah Maan SDP
Originally uploaded by knicole7.

The inspiration.

Finally, we arrived at Yeah Maan, AND it was open and they had Sticky Date Pudding.

As good as I remembered it. Definitely the best presentation so far with the kiwis, strawberries, ice-cream and cinnamon stick garnish. I also like the cinnamon dusted on the plate. Yeah maan.

The taste was consistent and enchanting. I also took a picture of the menu, and maybe one day when I'm not feeling so cheap, I'll text it to Adam's phone and he can bluetooth it to the computer (my phone doesn't have that feature).

My brother Mark was visiting and quite enjoyed Yeah Maan as well. Only he ordered the 'Apple Thingy', which was actually also quite good. Warmed cinnamon apples covered in a carmalized red wine sauce. I like the sauce. Red wine sauce over sticky date? Maybe we'll give it a go one day.

Anyway, the only criticism of 'the inspiration' was Adam felt that there wasn't enough butterscotch sauce.

Still yummy though.


Maybe I'm not as cheap as I thought...

SDD - Sticky Date Disappointment

This post involves the home of the greatest SDP that we have yet tasted, Yeah Maan, and two unfortunate occurences. Firstly, we were all set for a evening of delicious Caribbean fare, topped off naturally with SDP delight. To our surprise and shock, the restaurant in question was dark, quiet and most definitely closed.

Secondly, a gathering was arranged for a group of friends at the same fine establishment, many of whom had been enticed with the promise of SDP. However, upon enquiry during the serving of the mains as to the availability of the dessert, we were informed that the last piece had just been served, and that no more would be forthcoming. Disaster!

Turns out that the reason for the lack of SDP was because at Yeah Maan it is made by the mother of one of the staff. So therein lies the secret - best because it is home made.

The moral of the story is: to avoid disappointment, order your dessert early.

In memory of Sticky Date that could have been....


Post written by Adam, picture added by Nicole