Kris: The nights are still pretty mild in Hobart, so it’s a great opportunity to enjoy this dessert before Summer hits. This is Caroline’s Sticky Date Pudding Recipe. I thought a Butterscotch Sauce made with Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine instead of brandy would work really well. It was also a perfect match to drink with the dessert too.

 Sticky Date Pudding

150g Pitted dates

3/4 cup water

1 Tbs finely grated ginger

1 vanilla bean

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1 egg

70g unsalted butter(softened)

1/2 cup brown sugar

200g self-raising flour

Method

Place dates, water,ginger and split vanilla bean in a saucepan

Simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat

Take off heat and allow to cool

Pre-heat an oven to 180C

Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer

Add egg and beat for a few more minutes

Remove vanilla bean and fold in date mixture

Sift in the flour and fold through the mixture

Grease a 6 muffin tin with butter

Spoon in mixture (don’t overfill as they will rise)

Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until you pierce the puddings with a skewer stick and it comes out clean

Let them cool a little and turn out onto a wire cake rack

Serve with Barley Wine Butterscotch sauce (recipe below)

(see our puppy friend charlie in the background? he helped with the photo shoot, but is a bit camera shy)

Barley Wine Butterscotch Sauce

100 ml Barley Wine

100ml cream

180g soft brown sugar

90 g butter (cubed)

2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Place the sugar and butter in a saucepan on medium heat

Allow it to bubble away until it forms a caramel

Remove from the heat and add vanilla 

Add barley wine and whisk 

Place back on  low heat and stir through the cream

Simmer for a few minutes

Serve warm over the Sticky Date pudding

Kris: I really love barley wines and this dessert is a great match with the Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine. It’s sweet, rich and malty with some interesting aniseed, caramel and chocolate characteristics. The big malt balances out the 10.2% alcohol. The bottle we opened has been aged for 2 years. It’s aging really nicely.A great Australian version is Feral Razorback Barley Wine from Western Australia.

Caroline: Gooey sauce and warm pudding…delicious. I’m not usually a huge fan of  barley wines, but it is a great match for this dessert…