United Kingdom, Europe · Sticky Toffee Pudding

White Miso Sticky Toffee Pudding with Miso Butterscotch

Name: White Miso Sticky Toffee Pudding with Miso Butterscotch
Cook time: 57 min
Total time: 57 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: Unsalted butter, softened (includes some for greasing) 35 g; Pitted dates 75 g; Just-boiled water 110 ml; Bicarbonate of soda ¼ tsp; Ground ginger ½ tsp; Dark brown soft sugar 55 g; Japanese white miso (shiro miso), for the sponge 1 tsp; Egg, beaten (half an egg is about 25 g) 1; Plain flour 70 g; Baking powder ½ tsp; White sesame seeds 1 tsp; Butter (for the sauce) 35 g; Dark brown soft sugar (for the sauce) 55 g; Double cream 100 ml; Japanese white miso (for the sauce) 2 tsp; Vanilla ice cream (scoops) 2

A Japanese twist: Japanese white miso and ginger give the date sponge a sweet-salty depth, finished with miso toffee sauce, toasted sesame and vanilla ice cream.

ServingsServes 2

Total cooking time57 min

DifficultyMedium

Method

Heat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan) and grease Ø 9 cm ×2 dish(es) thinly with butter.
Add in this stepUnsalted butter, softened (includes some for greasing) 5.3 g
Finely chop the dates, put them in a heatproof bowl with the just-boiled water, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger, leave for , then roughly mash with a fork. The ginger ties the saltiness of the miso to the sweetness of the toffee.
Add in this stepPitted dates 75 gJust-boiled water 110 mlBicarbonate of soda ¼ tspGround ginger ½ tsp
Beat the softened butter, sugar and the sponge miso together for until soft and creamy; mixing the miso into the butter first spreads it evenly with no lumps. Beat in the egg a little at a time.
Add in this stepUnsalted butter, softened (includes some for greasing) 30 gDark brown soft sugar 55 gJapanese white miso (shiro miso), for the sponge 1 tspEgg, beaten (half an egg is about 25 g) 1
Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold just until no dry flour shows, then stir in the dates with all their liquid. The batter is runny, which is normal. Fill the dish(es) two-thirds full. No salt is needed because the miso is already salty.
Add in this stepPlain flour 70 gBaking powder ½ tsp
Bake on the middle shelf (oven) for , until a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back when pressed.
oven
Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a small dry frying pan on medium heat for , shaking constantly, until golden and nutty-smelling, then tip them straight onto a plate; left in the pan they burn quickly.
Add in this stepWhite sesame seeds 1 tsp
medium heat
Put the sauce butter and sugar in a 14 cm saucepan on medium-low heat until melted, add the cream, turn up to medium heat and bubble for until thickened. Turn off the heat. Put the sauce miso in a small bowl, loosen it with a spoonful of the hot sauce, then stir it into the pan. Always add miso off the heat; boiling kills its aroma.
Add in this stepButter (for the sauce) 35 gDark brown soft sugar (for the sauce) 55 gDouble cream 100 mlJapanese white miso (for the sauce) 2 tsp
medium-low heat→medium heat
Poke holes in the pudding, pour over plenty of warm miso toffee sauce, scatter with the toasted sesame and top with vanilla ice cream. Serve straight away.
Add in this stepVanilla ice cream (scoops) 2

Cook's tip

Miso saltiness varies a lot, so add half the sauce miso first, taste, then add the rest. Mild white miso works best; red miso is too strong here. Black sesame seeds look striking against the sauce.

Cooking it at camp

Bake the sponge at home; the sauce is easy to make at camp in a small pan over a low burner flame. Warm the sponge wrapped in foil in a covered pot, and if ice cream won't survive the trip, serve with cream from the cooler instead.