# STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH POACHED PEARS, AND CARAMEL SAUCE



## chefzoneau (Jun 21, 2012)

*Sticky Date Pudding*

*Ingredient Quantity*

200g Seeded Dates

310ml boiling water

1 tsp bi-carbonate soda

70g chopped butter

100g brown sugar

70g candied ginger

2 eggs

120g self-raising flour

50g plain flour

*Step Method*

Preheat oven to 180°c. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.
Combine dates and boiling water, and stir in bi-carbonate soda. Cook for five minutes.
Blend date mixture with butter and sugar to form a chunky paste cool slightly. Add eggs and flour.
Pour mixture into the lined cake pan. Cook for about one hour in a bain-marie. Stand for ten minutes, and then turn out onto cooling rack.
*Basic Caramel sauce*

*Ingredient Quantity*

60ml water

200g Castor sugar

60g butter

200ml cream (35% fat)

*Step Method*

Gather and weigh out all ingredients.
Place granulated sugar in a very clean saucepan over low heat and cover with water. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.
Using a pastry brush dipped in water, gently brush down the sides of the saucepan to remove any sugar crystals.
Bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, until the caramel thickens and is an amber colour.
 Take of the heat and add the butter and combine, then poor the cream slowly while stirring until well combined.
*Poached Pears*

*Ingredient Quantity*

2 Pears

250g Castor sugar

600ml water

1 lemon juice

4 slices of fresh ginger

*Step Method*

Peal the pears and remove the core. This can be done easily with a parisienne cutter on whole pears and halves.
Place all ingredients into a small pot and mix to dissolve sugar. Place on the heat and bring to the boil and simmer lightly for 5-10minutes.
Place prepared pears into the stock syrup and cover with a cartouche.
Bring to the boil turn heat down to slow simmer and poach gently for around 10-15 minutes.
Test firmness of pear with a skewer they should be soft but not falling apart. Cool on bench top in the syrup


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