Ingredients

• Butter for greasing
• 250g pitted dried dates, chopped * 2 tbsp golden syrup, plus 1 tbsp extra
• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• 75g salted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 ¼ cup self raising flour
• 2 tbsp Dutch cocoa
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup sultanas
• 150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped, plus 200g extra chopped
• Boiling water
• 1/3 cup pure cream
• Ice cream to serve

Serves: 8

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (Plus 15 minutes standing)

Method

1. Grease a 2 litre capacity metal pudding tin well with butter. Line the base of the tin with baking paper.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine dates, golden syrup, coffee and water and bring to the boil. Add bicarb, mix and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Add butter, sugar, flour and cocoa to date mixture and mix through. Add milk and egg, fold. Add sultanas and chocolate, fold. Transfer batter to prepared pudding tin and smooth surface.

4. Cover top with foil, fit lid and secure tightly. Place in a large deep saucepan. Pour boiling water around the pudding tin until it reaches three quarters of the way up the side of the pudding. Bring water to the boil then reduce to a low medium heat and simmer for 1 hour 10 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out cleanly. Top up with boiling water throughout cooking to maintain the water level.

5. Meanwhile to make ganache, combine cream, extra golden syrup and extra chocolate in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted and smooth.

6. Remove large saucepan from the heat and carefully lift pudding tin from the water. Stand for 5 minutes then turn out upside down onto serving plate. Serve pudding warm, topped with ganache. Cut pudding into wedges and serve with ice cream and extra ganache.