During my conversation with Nik Sharma, a topic about traditional cuisines and family recipes came up. Nik had such a profound message to share when he encouraged creativity and experimenting in the kitchen as a way to take something traditional and make it your own. Check out Nik’s interview here.

I absolutely loved Sarah Orman of My Modern Diary take on her British heritage and on a family classic – the indulgent sticky toffee pudding! Sarah is an amazing cook and writer.

The United Kingdom. Home of the historic British Monarchy. Creator of the The Beatles. Famed for pomp and pageantry, politely standing in line, and the iconic public house. There’s much to be proud of when a stranger detects one’s unmistakable British accent, however, it came to my attention several years ago that in addition to these much-loved characteristics synonymous with my home country, there was a stigma that shook me to my core.

Unlikely to ever be deemed culinary capital of the world, I was perplexed to learn Great Britain had been saddled with a reputation for lacklustre cuisine for some time, or so I learned soon after moving to the United States. When first challenged about the dishes I’d enjoyed throughout my youth, including the classic sticky toffee pudding; a tender sponge cake studded with honey-sweet dates and decadently doused in a warm, buttery toffee sauce, I was somewhat speechless. I wasn’t quite sure how to defend the comfort food, lesser known ingredients, or stolen traditions the United Kingdom is now notorious for. Embarrassed to admit I loved bangers and mash, black pudding, and chicken tikka masala, I quietly ceased to discuss the meals I once shared with my family, and I pushed my cravings for “​British cuisine​” to the back of my ordinarily food-focussed mind.

Eleven years on, the dishes I’d first faltered to preserve as a result of uninvited criticism, are no longer hiding in the shadows of more popularized global fare. Preparing roast beef and Yorkshire puddings on Sunday afternoon is heartwarmingly nostalgic, and even a can of Heinz baked beans served on generously buttered toast fills me with great delight. I’m proud to be British and to embrace the food of my roots.

My childhood was filled with delicious home cooked meals, including many of the classics people outside of the United Kingdom fail to comprehend, and still today, there are dishes prepared by my family that I plead for when I return home. With that being said, as an enthusiastic home cook, I often find myself straying from the traditional recipes and methods that were passed on to me in search of experimentation and improvement. A tweak, a twist, a spin, or an update here and there makes cooking and baking my favorite British dishes both exciting and rewarding.

One such culinary creation has been a firm family favorite for as long as I can recall. There are countless dishes synonymous with the United Kingdom; from beer-battered fish & chips to steak and kidney pie, yet few resonate so much with the people and place I call home as the indulgent sticky toffee pudding. A true classic found on pub and restaurant menus in all four corners of the British Isles and everywhere in between, sticky toffee pudding was thought to have been created in my home county of Cumbria, and is undoubtedly one of my sweet-toothed nation’s most beloved desserts. More personally, it remains one of my Grandmother’s absolute favorites and on this her 90th year, we’ll be rounding out her celebratory lunch with none other than the Lake District classic itself.

Equal in taste and texture, this version of Britain’s cherished pudding is perhaps a touch more refined, served in individual bundt form for dinner party perfection. This is elevated comfort food, that in both mine and my Grandmother’s opinion, is undoubtedly enough to quash the false rumors of bad British cuisine and poor palates for good. Still unconvinced the United Kingdom could rival fine French fare or Mediterranean mezze? The proof is in the pudding.

Sarah’s Recipe

Cake ingredients:

• 6 oz / 170g dates, chopped into small pieces
• 2 oz / 55g unsalted butter, softened
• 6 oz / 170g caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 6 oz / 170g self-rising flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toffee sauce ingredients:

• 7 oz / 200g light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 4 oz / 110g unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F / 325 ° F convection. Generously butter and flour a 12-mold bundt pan.
2. Pour 300ml of cold water over the chopped dates in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temperature and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the dates are beginning to breakdown and the mixture becomes sticky.
3. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs until fully incorporated. Should the mixture show any signs of curdling, add a small spoonful of the self-rising flour.
4. Carefully fold in the flour and salt using a spatula or metal spoon, followed by the sticky date mixture and vanilla extract. Stir until just evenly mixed.
5. Fill molds with the cake batter approximately one-third from the top to allow the cakes room to rise.
6. Bake in the center of the pre-heated oven for 15-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean.
7. While the cakes are baking, combine all the toffee sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside until ready to serve.
8. When the cakes are fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, before turning out on to a wire rack. Serve immediately with lashings of toffee sauce, and if you’re feeling extra indulgent, a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Credits – Article and recipe: Sarah Orman of My Modern Diary, Instagram: @mymoderndiary

Credits – Photography: Jodi Baier of Jodi & Kurt Photography, Instagram: @jodiandkurtphoto