Ingredients

• 8 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped small
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups self-rising flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbsp butter, softened
• 2/3 cup demerara or raw sugar
• 2 tbsp black treacle or molasses
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 scoop per pudding ice cream, for serving
• scant 1 cup dark muscovado or dark brown sugar (for sauce)
• 3 1/2 tbsp butter (for sauce)
• 1 cup heavy cream (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp black treacle or molasses (for sauce)

Equipment

• Seven mini pudding molds (about 3/4 cup each)
• Baking sheet
• Medium saucepan
• Mixing bowls
• Hand mixer or whisk
• Small palette knife or thin spatula

Instructions

1. Put the chopped dates in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let them soak about 30 minutes until soft and cooled, then mash lightly with a fork and stir in the vanilla. This softens the dates so they melt into the batter and keep the puddings moist.
2. Heat your oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour seven mini pudding molds (each about 3/4 cup) and set them on a baking sheet so they're easy to move.
3. Whisk the self-rising flour and baking soda together in one bowl, and beat the eggs in another. Prepping these separately keeps the mixing quick and even.
4. Beat the softened butter and demerara sugar together for a few minutes until slightly creamy. It will look grainy from the coarse sugar, and that's fine.
5. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition so the batter stays smooth and doesn't split.
6. Beat in the 2 tablespoons of treacle, then gently fold in a third of the flour with a large spoon, followed by half the milk. Repeat until all the flour and milk are used, folding just until combined so the puddings stay light.
7. Stir in the soaked dates. The batter may look slightly curdled and will be thick and soft, which is exactly right.
8. Divide the batter evenly among the molds and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until risen and firm to a light touch in the center.
9. While they bake, make the sauce: combine the muscovado sugar, sauce butter, and half the cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar fully dissolves.
10. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of treacle, raise the heat slightly, and let it bubble 2 to 3 minutes until it turns a rich toffee color, stirring so it doesn't scorch. Take it off the heat and beat in the rest of the cream.
11. Let the puddings rest in their molds a few minutes, then loosen the edges with a small knife and turn them out. Serve right away with sauce drizzled over, or make them stickier by sitting them upturned in a baking dish, coating with sauce, tenting loosely with foil, and leaving a day or two at room temperature.
12. To serve after resting, warm the covered puddings in a 350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce bubbles. Serve with ice cream, cream, or custard.