Sous Vide Sticky Toffee Pudding

Anova Culinary

This is one of my favorite British desserts (side note: dessert is known as pudding in the UK). The fruits make the cake part of this moist and dark and delicious. I’ve tweaked the traditional a bit here by adding figs, which I am partial to over dates, which are the more common ingredient. I will admit to trying this first in a vacuum seal, but the reaction of the baking powder and soda is to make a cake RISE. The cakes exploded out of their ramekins and the results were not pretty (although they sure were tasty). So instead, these puddings get steamed in a water bath created by the Anova Precision Cooker (the natural fix to everything!) You can cook these well ahead of a dinner party and let them sit in the warm water so you can serve them warm. The sauce can be made a day or two in advance and warmed in a microwave until pourable.

Author

Barbara Freda

I grew up in a cooking family and after getting a degree in Spanish and Anthropology, realized what I really wanted to do was to go to culinary school. After working in a NYC bank for a few years, I managed to get to culinary school and got my first jobs in NYC kitchens, including a long stint at Union Square Cafe in its earliest years. After (sadly) leaving NYC, I realized I needed to step away from the 80-hour work weeks, so I left the heat of the kitchen for the cool of the computer keyboard: I started writing about food, the business of food, and technology in the food industry, as well as teaching cooking classes. Recipe development remains one of my top loves, and the opportunity to develop recipes for Anova has been fun every step of the way.

Prep Time: 00:45

Recipe Time: 03:00

Temperature : 195.8F / 91C

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 195ºF (91ºC). Grease 6 single-serve ramekins or coffee cups with nonstick oil spray. Cut parchment paper into circles to fit just inside the lip of the ramekins. Place a rack or plate in the bottom of the water bath.
  2. Place the dates and figs in a heatproof bowl and top with boiling water. Set aside to rehydrate. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 8 tablespoons butter and 1 cup brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then beat in molasses and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture all at once. Gradually increase speed to medium and continue to beat until ingredients are just blended.
  5. Place soaked fruit and its soaking water in a food processor. Process until blended. (It does not have to be super smooth.) Add blended fruit mixture to batter and stir with a spatula to combine.
  6. Fill each prepared ramekin about halfway full with batter. Each container should contain about ½ cup batter and the batter should be at least ¾ of an inch from the top of ramekin.
  7. Grease parchment rounds with butter and place, butter-side down, on top of batter. Cover each ramekin with a small piece of foil. Press tightly and then seal with a rubber band.
  8. Place ramekins on the rack in the water bath. The water level should come about ¾ of the way up each container. Set the timer for 3 hours.
  9. While puddings are cooking, make the toffee sauce: Place the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons butter in a heavy, deep saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, until the sugar is melted.
  10. Add cream, being careful that the mixture does not bubble over. Stir until well-incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Keep warm for serving.

Finishing Steps

  1. When the timer goes off, remove the ramekins from the water bath. Uncover each ramekin, being careful not to drip water into the steamed puddings. Flip puddings out onto individual serving plates. Drizzle each pudding with 1 to 2 tablespoons toffee sauce and serve warm.