A variation of my mum’s beloved sticky date pudding, these little desserts are all warming spice and gentle, cooked fruit. As they’re made with wholemeal flour, sticky prunes and pear, I wish to child myself that these are, actually, wholesome muffins. However then I drown them in ginger caramel and a puddle of cream, and that phantasm is shattered!
On a chilly night these actually are heavenly, and I wouldn’t even blame you if the leftovers masqueraded as breakfast the following day. The prunes are beautiful on this – I truly choose them to dates. When you’re not satisfied, simply consider them as dried plums.
I’ve usually gifted a field of those, together with an accompanying jar of caramel sauce, and they’re all the time effectively obtained.
Sticky prune, pear and ginger desserts with ginger caramel – recipe
Makes 6
100g unsalted butter, cubed, plus further to grease
185 ml full cream (complete) milk
125g caster sugar
120g pitted prunes, halved
1 tsp contemporary ginger, peeled and finely diced
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs, frivolously crushed
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 small pears, ripe however agency
150g wholemeal flour, plus further to mud tins
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp floor ginger
1/8 tsp positive sea salt
Ginger caramel sauce
100g unsalted butter, cubed
165g gentle brown sugar
200ml single cream, plus further to serve (elective)
1 tsp contemporary ginger, peeled and finely diced
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced and grease a big muffin tin (with six 180ml capability holes) effectively with softened butter. Line the bases of the holes with circles of baking paper, then mud with a little bit wholemeal flour, tapping out any extra.
Put the butter, milk, sugar, prunes and contemporary ginger in a medium saucepan. Place over medium warmth, stirring often, till the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Take away from the warmth, stir within the bicarb soda and permit the combination to chill to room temperature. When the combination has cooled, stir within the eggs and vanilla.
Peel and quarter the pears, eradicating the cores. Minimize the quarters into 1–2cm items and put aside.
Place the flour, baking powder, floor ginger and positive sea salt in a big mixing bowl and whisk collectively. Make a effectively within the centre and pour within the cooled prune combination, together with the pear items, stirring gently till simply mixed.
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Divide the batter evenly between the ready muffin cups. Bake within the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or till the desserts are golden brown and risen, and just some damp crumbs cling to a skewer when examined. Enable the desserts to chill a little bit of their tins when you make the ginger caramel sauce.
Add the butter, sugar, cream and ginger to a medium saucepan. Place over medium warmth and stir till the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Flip the warmth down and let the caramel bubble for 3–5 minutes, stirring often till barely thickened, and watching fastidiously that the caramel doesn’t bubble over. Take away from the warmth and stir within the flaky sea salt.
Rigorously flip the nice and cozy desserts out of their tins, working a knife across the edges to loosen if crucial. Serve the desserts heat, topped with heat ginger caramel sauce and a puddle of pure (single) cream, for those who like. I like to make use of a skewer to poke holes within the prime of the desserts to permit the caramel sauce to essentially soak in.
Any leftover desserts and caramel sauce will maintain effectively in an hermetic container within the fridge for two–3 days – simply warmth gently earlier than serving.
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That is an edited extract from Handfuls of Sunshine, written and photographed by Tilly Pamment (Murdoch Books: $39.99, out now)