Sticky Honey Pudding

A variation on a classic dessert, swapping treacle for mead and honey. We call it “sticky honey pudding” and here’s how to make it.

• 250g pitted dates
• 300ml mead
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract
• 90g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoon of dark honey
• 2 medium eggs
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate
• 50g pecans, roughly chopped

1. Soak the dates in the mead overnight, to soften them.
2. Once the dates are ready, preheat the oven to 180C.
3. Add everything except the flour, baking powder and pecans, then put through a blender until smooth.
4. Now mix in the flour and baking powder, stirring gently but thoroughly to get rid of any clumps or granular texture.
5. Add the pecans.
6. Grease a large muffin tray
7. The thick mixture is tricky and messy to work with, and a great way around this is to use an ice cream scoop. Plus, it helps you regulate the amount in each muffin mould.
8. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown, springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Once cool to the touch, twist out of the mould and leave to cool completely, upside down
10. Serve as they are or warm through for service in a low oven