Tastes Like Home
“Everybody likes sticky date pudding, and, if you don’t, you can stop reading now. ” – The Big Issue Vendor MBK.
MBK shares his secret recipe for The Big Issue’s “30th Birthday Dinner Party” menu.
The Big Issue vendor, MBK says….
Everybody likes sticky date pudding, and, if you don’t, you can stop reading now. As usual, this happened a number of years ago. I was heading to a foodie’s birthday party. We were all encouraged to bring a plate. I settled on this recipe, which I think I first heard of on the radio a few years earlier.
So the party went well – a lot of different and amazing food was had by all. We went home and slept. The next morning I received a phone call from our host thanking us for being there and, best of all, telling me that one of her guests happened to write for The Age’s Epicure section. He said, in his words, that it was the best goddamn sticky date pudding he’d ever tried. And he asked for the recipe. I pondered this and decided to keep my secret.
The reason I’m giving the recipe to my Big Issue readers now is that it’s time to share this wonder. So please: make it and share this delight with your friends and families. Title of the dish: Death Dessert with a cardiac arrest warning!!!
A big happy birthday to The Big Issue. Basically, five years ago, I used to shine shoes in Hosier Lane. It was a time of coming out of COVID, so I needed something else. The day I began selling, I’d gone on pitch and sold a number of mags, so I bought a $27 burger and drink – I was so proud I had tears in my eyes. Thanks to The Big Issue and customers. I’m so grateful to be part of it. Cheers.
Ingredients
Serves 5-6
230g pitted dates
450ml water
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
90g softened unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225g self-raising flour
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to serve
Caramel Sauce
50g brown sugar
250ml thickened cream
200g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Put dates and water into small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for approximately 5–8 minutes. Quickly stir in bicarb soda, then set aside to cool down.
Put butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until mixture is thick and pale. Add eggs one at a time, mixing each in well. Now carefully add the vanilla, then the date mixture and lastly the flour. Put the mixture into a medium/large ovenproof dish and bake for 20–25 minutes or until springy to the touch.
To make the caramel sauce, mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for approximately 2 minutes or until combined and glossy.
Once the pudding is done, I like to gently pour caramel sauce all over and heat in the oven for another 5 minutes on low heat.
Serve with delicious amounts of ice cream or whipped cream.
MBK SELLS THE BIG ISSUE IN MOONEE PONDS, ASCOT VALE AND SEDDON, MELBOURNE
Plan to recreate this dish at home?
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@bigissueaustralia #TASTESLIKEHOME
Published in ed#763
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