Things I "Like": Sticky Toffee Pudding

For my belated Christmas party last week, my cousin Katie brought over not one, but TWO of these. Since we already had a massive amount of dessert, I froze one and ate the other (James helped).  I've always been slightly obsessed with England and their food. It all just sounds so much more magical: Crumpets, fools, bubble and squeak, jacket potatoes, their habit of calling everything 'puddings'--way better than hot dogs or spaghetti with meatballs. Booooring. 

The Sticky Toffee Pudding Co., which made my pudding, is based in Austin, TX and was founded by a British woman living in the states. All their products are said to be made from authentic British recipes. In case you didn't know, in Brit-speak 'pudding' is simply a catchall name for dessert...unless it's referring to black pudding or Yorkshire pudding. Those are savory. Now, what we know as pudding, they call custard. All clear? 

Sticky toffee pudding is just as good as it sounds, though I'd describe it as more gooey than sticky. The cake itself is a very moist and crumbly sponge cake, perfect for soaking up that delightful toffee sauce. In fact, the sauce reminded me a lot of a recipe for toffee sauce from English chef Nigella Lawson. It's also really easy to make. My favorite.

Sticky Toffee Sauce

* 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soft dark brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
* 3/4 stick unsalted butter
* 2/3 cup heavy cream

Put the sugar, syrup and butter in a pan and slowly bring to the boil, allowing the butter to melt and the sugar to dissolve. Let the mixture bubble for a couple of minutes before carefully adding the cream. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce is thick, sticky and glossy.

I freaked out when my sauce didn't seem to be turning thick and glossy, but not to worry! Once I turned off the heat, it came together like gangbusters. I also added a pinch of salt to the mix during the cooking process. Next time I'll add a little more though to really get that salty n' sweet flavor--alternatively, I wonder what would happen if I used salted instead of unsalted butter?


I served the sauce warm over chilled bowls of vanilla haagen daz. The sauce starts melting the ice cream right away, so I suggest pre-scooping your dishes and sticking them in the freezer for a bit before adding the sauce.