Sticky Banana Pudding with Hazelnut Butterscotch
Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 60 mins | Course: Dessert | Serves: 12
Banana and date sponge pudding fragrant with hazelnuts and topped with butterscotch and a chopped hazelnut dark chocolate bar. Let’s get back to our British roots with this amazing sponge pud. Inspired by Delicious Magazine https://www.delicious.com.au/recipes/banana-date-pudding-hazelnut-butterscotch-recipe/6c61cyox
1 cup dates, pitted
½ cup boiling hot water
½ tsp baking soda
2 bananas (or 3 if small)
½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
2 Tbsp frangelico liqueur, optional
1 ¾ cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Hazelnut Butterscotch:
1 cup brown sugar
⅓ cup butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp frangelico liqueur or vanilla extract
1- 3.5 oz hazelnut dark chocolate Ritter bar, coarsely chopped
Preheat the oven to 350*. Spray oil a 9.13 baking dish and set to one side. Place dates in a bowl with the hot water and baking soda and let sit for 20 minutes. transfer the dates with a slotted spoon into a blender. Add bananas and blend until smooth. Add butter, brown sugar, buttermilk, eggs and frangelico, if using. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Pour the blended ingredients into the flour mixture and fold together with a rubber scraper until just combined. Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick tester will come out batter free and the sides of the sponge pudding will have shrunk away from the pan slightly.
While the pud is in the oven, mix the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cream and cook for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened and that lovely butterscotch color is achieved. Remove from the heat and stir in the frangelico or vanilla. Pour ½ of the butterscotch over the warm baked cake reserving the other half for drizzling over the dessert while serving. Chop the hazelnut chocolate bar coarsely and sprinkle over the top, reserving some for extra for that last-minute sprinkle before serving.
