Sticky toffee pudding is the warm, saucy British dessert --- satisfyingly soft and saucy, with a not-too-cloying sweetness

There's so much we can chalk up to the naivete of youth - things that, in retrospect, make you go, "What was I thinking?" For me, a lot of those realizations involve food. As someone who grew up picky and slowly expanded my palate and experience into Professional Food Writer, hindsight can be particularly depressing.

Take sticky toffee pudding. Barely out of college and just learning how to cook, I was inspired to try a sticky toffee pudding ice cream from Haagen-Dazs. Just as the brand wanted, I fell hook, line and sinker when we were overcome by curiosity after seeing a special about a flavor contest on Food Network. I bought it, tried it and, well, the pint did not do much for us, even though I'm typically a devoted fan of the premium brand.

"OK, so maybe I'm just not in to sticky toffee pudding," I thought, foolishly discounting one of the most beloved desserts of Great Britain. The fact that it's a supremely soft, date-filled and toffee-soaked cake did not register. Flash forward about seven years, when my husband and I were sitting in a cozy pub on our first trip to England. Naturally, out came sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Naturally, it blew my mind. So much time wasted!

We've hardly passed up an opportunity to eat sticky toffee pudding since then. And thanks to this recipe, I - and, fingers crossed, you - will hardly pass up an opportunity to make it again.

Needless to say, growing up has its benefits. I learned I loved sticky toffee pudding. But with this recipe in hand, you don't need to be late to the party.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

SERVINGS: 4 to 6

Active: 25 minutes | Total: 45 minutes

Make Ahead: The undipped cakes can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for 2 days or frozen for 1 month. The toffee syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. To serve, warm the cakes (thawed, if frozen) briefly in the microwave before dipping them in the warmed toffee.

Ingredients

FOR THE PUDDINGS

• 8 ounces pitted Deglet Noor dates

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) hot water

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 1/2 cups (187 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 6 tablespoons (76 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

FOR THE TOFFEE SYRUP

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup (152 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar

Steps

Position the baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the puddings: In a food processor, pulse the dates until finely chopped. (This can also be done by hand, but the machine does a better job.)

In a medium bowl, stir together the dates, hot water and baking soda. Let rest for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Still on medium, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the flour mixture in two additions on low speed. Scrape down the bowl.

Add the date mixture in three additions on low speed and mix until completely incorporated.

Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full. Bake, 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the puddings comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the puddings from the muffin pan and onto the rack.

Make the toffee syrup: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, butter and brown sugar and stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the syrup from the heat, poke the puddings all over with a skewer, and dip each cake, one at a time, into the syrup, turning them over and over to soak them well before transferring to a (microwaveable) serving plate.

To serve, heat the puddings in the microwave for 20 seconds. Serve warm. Warm any remaining toffee syrup over low heat and serve on the side.

VARIATION: To make one giant pudding, butter a 2-quart porcelain souffle dish (or similar-sized baking dish that is 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches in diameter and has tall sides). Make the sauce first and pour half of it into the dish. Chill in the freezer while you make the batter. Transfer the batter to the dish, smooth the top and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. (Loosely tent the top with the foil if it starts to look too dark.) Serve straight from the dish, with the remaining sauce on the side.

Nutrition | Calories: 390; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 16 g; Cholesterol: 105 mg; Sodium: 250 mg; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 31 g; Protein: 3 g.

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