Sticky Toffee Pudding with Whisky Sauce

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and flour an 8-inch (20cm) square baking tin.

Place the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over them, add the bicarbonate of soda, and stir. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to soften.

In a separate large bowl, cream together the 50g of softened butter and the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Fold in the sifted flour and the vanilla extract. Finally, stir in the soaked date mixture (including the liquid) until everything is well combined.

Pour the batter into your prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

While the pudding is baking, make the sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the 100g of butter and the dark brown sugar together, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Stir in the double cream and the pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the whisky, if using.

Once the pudding is cooked, remove it from the oven. While it's still warm, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and pour over about half of the toffee sauce. Let it soak in for a few minutes.

Serve the pudding warm, cut into squares, with the remaining sauce drizzled over the top. It's delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream.