Sticky date pudding is one of the ultimate comfort desserts. And this recipe is the self saucing variety, cleverly oozing that butterscotch sauce goodness saving you time in the kitchen.

Tip: If needing to prepare this in advance, complete up to Step 3 with the batter smoothed in the baking dish and then refrigerate. When it's closer to the time you need to bake the pudding, prepare the sauce, pour over the pudding batter and bake.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
40g butter, melted
2/3 cup milk
1 cup pitted dried dates, finely chopped
Sauce
1 ½ cups boiling water
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
40g butter, finely chopped

Method: 

1. In a mixing bowl place 1 1/4 cups of self raising flour, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Stir to combine.

2. Melt 40g of butter and add to the bowl along with 2/3 cup milk. Stir to combine.

3. Fold through 1 cup of finely chopped dates.Tip: If your dates feel dry, place into a heatproof jug/bowl and soak in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain well and add to batter. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and smooth the top of the batter with the back of a spoon. A 20cm circular dish or a a 15 x 20cm rectangular/oval dish would work well for this size.

4. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and smooth the top of the batter with the back of a spoon. A 20cm circular dish or a a 15 x 20cm rectangular/oval dish would work well for this size.

5. In a heatproof jug, add 1.5 cups of boiling water, 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar and 40g finely chopped butter. Stir well until the butter has melted. Pour this mixture over the pudding batter and carefully transfer to a hot 180C oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes - you may notice the pudding is a bit wobbly when touched, this is the sauce underneath.

6. Enjoy warm on its own or with a dollop of custard/ice cream.