Vanilla Date Pudding
meganvt01
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 6-8
This recipe was inspired by a fabulous date pudding I had at the River Tavern in Chester, CT and a quintessentially South African dessert, malva pudding. I have been wanting to re-create the date pudding, but I wanted it to be a bit more like the malva pudding I had had in SA. Earthy dates are a perfect vehicle for smooth vanilla. This recipe is great because you can bake the pudding before dinner and then pour on the vanilla cream sauce after dinner at re-heat for 5-10 minutes. If you really wanted to gild the lily, serve with fresh whipped cream for a nice warm/cool contrast.
Ingredients
Date Pudding
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped from the inside
- 8 ounce dates, chopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla-Rum Cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- dash of kosher salt
Featured Video
WHO: meganvt01 is an adventurous cook and eater who has been in the winner's circle a time or two.
WHAT: Her own, expert riff on a South African malva pudding.
HOW: Just blend, beat, and bake -- but it will taste like you've done so much more.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This perfumed pudding is perfect all on its own, but pour the vanilla-rum cream over the top and it'll be on a whole new level.
Directions
Date Pudding
- Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 and butter a 9-inch pie pan.
- Step 2
Place the chopped dates in a blender. Pour over the boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes then puree.
- Step 3
In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and brown sugar on medium high for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla seeds, vinegar, and butter and beat to combine.
- Step 4
Add a little bit of the date mixture and beat -- this will bring the eggs up to temperature -- add the rest and beat to combine (medium speed). Add the flour, salt, baking powder and beat just to combine.
- Step 5
Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until the center is set and a cake tester comes out clean. Take a wooden skewer and poke holes every inch or so all over the pudding.
- Step 6
At this point you can let the cake cool until after dinner or pour over the vanilla-rum cream sauce and return to the oven for 5 minutes (10 if the pudding was cooled).
Vanilla-Rum Cream
- Step 1
Mix the ingredients.