This Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe will bring a bit of Ireland to you via your kitchen.
It happens every year. As March 17 draws near, memories of Ireland (as Alfred Lord Tennyson writes) “Rise in the heart and gather to the eyes”.
Ah, Ireland . . . the beautiful landscape, the warm, irrepressible people. . . and the food. I think Irish food gets a bad rap. It’s not as elaborate as say, French cuisine, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s simple, unpretentious, rustic comfort food. And so good!
I usually cook full-on Irish-American on St. Patrick’s day: corned beef simmered tender in the crockpot for Husband, colcannon (potato, leek and cauliflower mash with white cheddar and butter), Irish soda bread and this delicious confection called Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
First off, this recipe doesn’t make what Americans would call “pudding” – that sugary cup of goop tucked into children’s lunchboxes. No. This is a super moist cake, stuffed with dates, dried apricots and walnuts. Chewy bursts of fruit accentuated with nutty crunches all cushioned in a square of creamy, malty sweetness (curtesy of the stout). The Guinness sauce makes it extra decadent!
My Irish Grandmother made a similar cake when I was growing up. Unfortunately, the family recipe is long lost but I found this lovely version from the Irish celebrity chef Catherine Fulvio, the proprietor of the Ballyknockan House & Cookery School, named for a small village in County Wicklow. (Such a great Irish word – Ballyknockan.)
I have converted the measurements from European grams and milliliters to cups below.
Irish Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
- For the Squares:
- 3/4 cup Dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup Dried Apricots, chopped
- 2/3 cup Guinness stout
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/3 cup Jameson's or other Irish whiskey
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
- 6 tablespoons Butter, softened
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour
- 3/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
- For the Sauce:
- 1/3 cup Butter
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 1/3 cup Guinness stout
- 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
- To make the squares:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Generously spray or butter an 8x8 square pan.
- Combine the dates, apricots, Guinness, water, whiskey and baking soda in a saucepan.
- Place over a gentle heat until the dates soften and break down, stirring occasionally - about 5 - 10 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
- Using a stand or electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Gradually beat in the eggs.
- Fold the flour, walnuts and the cooled date mixture into the egg mix and transfer to the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack.
- Cool completely and cut into 9 squares.
- To make the sauce:
- Combine the butter, honey, Guinness and cream in a saucepan and simmer over a low heat until the honey has dissolved and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve warm drizzled over the slices.
This recipe perfectly combines the remembrance of my grandmother with the memories from our amazing trip to the Emerald Isle!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day – Slainte! (Loosely translated from Irish Gaelic as “Good Health”)
As the velvety sweetness of Sticky Toffee Pudding lingers on our taste buds, let’s rewind the flavors of our culinary escapade and return to the enchanting landscapes of Ireland.
Read more on our trip to Ireland, click below:
Yum, Sticky Toffee Pudding! I can’t wait to make it’! I love your posts ❤️🍀☘️
Thank you so much! You have to let me know how you like it. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
TTD