TIPSY TART

Ingredients
Pudding:
• ½ cup (125ml) boiling water
• 125g dates, stoned and chopped
• ½ tsp (2ml) bicarbonate of soda
• ½ cup (125ml) butter
• ½ cup (125ml) soft brown sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup (250ml) cake flour
• ½ tsp (2ml) baking powder
• ¼ tsp (1ml) salt
• ½ tsp (3ml) cinnamon
• ½ tsp (3ml) ginger
• Pinch nutmeg
• Grated peel of 1 orange
• ½ cup (50g) chopped pecan nuts
Syrup:
• ⅔ cup (160g) soft brown sugar
• 2 tsp (10ml) butter
• ⅓ cup (90ml) water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• ¼ cup (60ml) brandy
Preparation method
Pudding:
1. Pour boiling water over chopped dates, and bring to the boil.
2. Remove from heat, and add bicarbonate of soda. Mix, and leave to cool.
3. Cream butter and sugar, and then beat in egg to create a smooth mixture.
4. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg over the creamed mixture, and fold in.
5. Stir in the dates, nuts and orange zest.
6. Ladle into a 1½-litre baking dish (23cm pie dish).
7. Bake in a preheated 180°C for 30-40 minutes, or until springy to the touch.
Syrup:
1. Heating butter, sugar and water, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Increase heat and boil for 1 minute, and add cinnamon.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the brandy, vanilla and salt.
4. Infuse while the pudding is baking.
5. When the pudding is baked, remove cinnamon stick from syrup and pour over pudding.
Recipe from Just Cooking