Sticky Date pudding

This is such an easy recipe and is sure to please guests!

Ingredients
1.5 cups (200g) seeded dried dates
1.5 cups (310ml) boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
50g butter chopped
half cup (100g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

Butterscotch sauce
3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar
300ml cream
80g butter

1 Preheat oven to 175oC. Grease deep 20cm round cake tin, line base with baking paper.
2 Combine dates and the water in medium heatproof bowl. Stir in soda and stand for 5 minutes.
3 Blend or process date mixture with butter and sugar until pureed. Add eggs and flour, blend or process until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
4 Bake, uncovered, in oven about 1 hour (cover with foil if pudding starts to overbrown). Stand for 10 minutes; turn onto serving plate. Serve warm with butterscotch sauce, strawberries and vanilla ice-cream.

Butterscotch sauce  Combine ingredients in medium saucepan; stir over low heat until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.

Serves 8.