When I go out for dinner and dessert, I’m always hoping for a dessert menu that doesn’t include the standard items of crème brûlée, cheesecake, pie and a chocolate option. I prefer the napoleons, bananas foster, or sticky toffee pudding menus. Here's one of my favorites.

Recipe for Sticky Toffee Pudding

Makes 1 8x8 pan or 6 individual pans


1¼ cup water
1 cup dates
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1⅓ cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup raisins
½ cup pecans, chopped

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Prepare the baking pans by spraying and lining with parchment paper. Rub butter on the parchment paper.

Bring the water to a simmer. Add the dates and vanilla. Simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool.

Cream butter and sugar. Add dates and water. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and soda. Add to date mixture.

In a food processor, puree until smooth but still a bit chunky. Let cool. Then add the raisins and pecans while it cools.

Bake for 30 minutes (or until a cake tester comes out clean).

Serve with butterscotch sauce, crème anglaise, whipping cream or ice cream and a dusting of icing sugar.