Freshly milled flour can replace the flour in any recipe that normally uses plain (all purpose), self raising or wholemeal flour. You can also use grain that would normally only be suitable for bread making. When you use freshly milled flour in your baking the gluten is not stable and so even grain with a high protein content makes lovely, light bakes.
In the past I have made sticky toffee pudding with white self raising flour and it makes a great pudding but using freshly milled wholemeal flour it takes it to another level.
I have added walnuts but you can omit these if you prefer. You can also use golden syrup instead of black treacle/molasses but the treacle adds extra depth to the flavour of this pudding. Using golden syrup all make it sweeter and lighter textured.
Ingredients
For the sponge:
175g dates (stoned and chopped)
175g boiling water
150g dark brown soft sugar
75g unsalted butter
75g black treacle/ molasses
3 eggs
125ml milk
250g freshly milled flour (I used Siskin)
1 tsp baking powder
50g walnuts
For the sauce:
75g unsalted butter
75g dark brown sugar
2 tbsps black treacle (you could use golden syrup)
150ml double cream
Method
Place the dates in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.
To make the sauce put all the ingredients in a pan and allow them all to dissolve and then to simmer for a minute or two until it thickens slightly.
Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4, 350F.
To make the sponge put the butter, sugar and treacle into a pan and place on a gentle heat until it’s dissolved and combined. Take off the heat and allow to cool a little. Add the milk and eggs and stir well. I prefer to process the dates to a puree with a blender but you don’t have to. Add the dates to the rest of the mixture. Add the flour and baking powder and fold in gently. Add the walnuts and fold in. Place the mixture into a pyrex dish or cake tin that is 20cm square. Bake in the centre of the oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven) until a skewer comes out clean. Pour half the sauce over the pudding as soon as it comes out of the oven. Serve with the remaining sauce in a jug for people to help themselves.
You can make this pudding well in advance and reheat in a warm oven until the sauce bubbles. You can also put extra walnuts on top.
