Time off from baking

I've been taking some time off from baking, for a multitude of reasons.

Alvin and I have decided to treat ourselves to a big trip to Africa later in the year, and since we will be going in the peak season, I feel the impetuous to do my research/bookings during any spare time I can get in order to secure whatever camps/permits necessary for our travel dates.

Work has been pretty grueling and has been taking a toll on my body and mind. And since baking can be physically tiring as I have to stand on my feet for a couple of hours straight, I feel even more fatigued after a session.

I've noticed that over the course of these past few months, I've lost sight of the macro picture. I need to work harder on the values I hold dear to me - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control. I'm thankful for Alvin - he always reminds me of the verse from Luke that John F. Kennedy used in his presidential inauguration speech: To whom much is given, much is expected. Which makes me question, what have I given back of late? So I shall be taking some time off to work on myself.  

修身，养家，治国，平天下

Finally, time to share a treasured recipe

I am uber worn out from work. My team works closely with the London and DC offices, so it's not incorrect to say that we're on global shift work. We're a couple of people down in the team and not to mention, there's been an influx of new business. So we have been overwhelmed. In fact, last week, my back ached so badly from fatigue, I had to book myself into a spa to get a massage (note: this is not an excuse). 

I'm still really weary, so shall keep this post real short. Today, I would like to share my precious sticky date pudding secret recipe here. I've made this numerous times for gatherings and parties and have even sold a couple of them and have received rave reviews, but all I've done, actually, is to improvise upon an already excellent recipe.

Sticky Date Pudding

Adapted from Simmone Logue

Makes 6

For the cake:

90g dried medjool dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces (note: use only good quality medjool dates as they make up the entire flavour of the cake!)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup boiling water

25g unsalted butter

75g brown sugar

1 egg

90g self raising flour, sifted

Prepare the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Combine the dates and bicarbonate of soda in a heatproof bowl.

Pour over 1/2 cup boiling water.

Set dates for 30 minutes until room temperature.

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. 

Use a metal spoon to gently fold in the flour, then stir in the date mixture.

Pour the mixture into a greased muffin pan - the mixture should fill 6 muffin cups. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through. Set aside for 5 minutes before turning out. 

For the toffee sauce:

75g brown sugar

1/2 cup thin cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

10g unsalted butter

Prepare the toffee sauce:

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the butter has melted.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Assemble the pudding:

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the pudding and generously pour over the hot toffee sauce.