Sticky Toffee Pudding by Cook Yourself Thin

Ingredients

200g stoned dates, chopped
175ml boiling water
1 tbsp creamy honey
75g buckwheat flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium free range organic eggs
100g grated raw parsnip
150g grated raw carrot
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp black treacle
½ tsp salt
100g brazil nuts
100g pecan nuts

For the sauce
90g unsalted butter
2 tsp black treacle
1 tbsp creamy honey
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp black tea (such as English breakfast)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C conventional setting.Line a 24 cm (check this) square tin with baking parchment on the base and lightly oil the sides.

Place the stoned dates in a bowl and pour over the boiling water, before wrapping in cling film and setting aside.Place both varieties of nuts into a food processor and blitz until they resemble a powder.

Add the grated parsnip, carrot, buckwheat flour, vanilla, honey, eggs, treacle and salt into the food processor and whiz up until well blended.Finally add the bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and whiz up again.

Empty the mixture into the prepared tin and place in the middle of a hot oven for one hour. You may need to place a piece of foil over the cake 45 minutes into the cooking time to prevent it from catching, if it is colouring too much on the top.

While you're waiting you can make the sauce, to do this just place all the ingredients into a small milk pan and bring to the boil.Whisk the sauce thoroughly and boil hard for 3 minutes until syrupy and glossy. Then set aside.

Serve the sticky toffee pudding with the sauce- it is lovely when still slightly warm...