Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

1 3/4 cups chopped and seeded dates

1 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

60g butter

125g castor sugar

2 eggs

1 cup self raising flour

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celcius.
Lightly grease a 20cm cake pan and line the base.
Combine the dates and water in a saucepan, and bring to boil.
Remove from heat, add bicarbonate of soda and let it stand for five minutes.
In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter and eggs until smooth.
Stir in the sifted flour and then add the date mix.
Pour into the greased cake pan and bake for 40 minutes.
Cool pudding in cake pan for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Butterscotch Sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cream

100g butter

Method

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and stir over heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for three minutes.
Pour the sauce over a slice of pudding and serve with fresh cream or vanilla ice-cream.