Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding

With this clever microwave recipe, you’re only ever minutes away from this family favourite. Stir a pinch of flaked sea salt through your toffee sauce, if you like.

Hands-on time 15min, plus cooling. Cooking time about 6min. Serves 4

100g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease

75g pitted Medjool dates 75g dark brown soft sugar 2 medium eggs, beaten

100ml milk

1tbsp vanilla bean paste 200g sticky toffee sauce, we used Joe & Seph’s, plus extra to serve, optional 150g self-raising flour

1 Lightly grease a 2 litre (15 x 20cm) microwave-safe dish with butter. Put dates and 100ml just-boiled water into the small bowl of a food processor and carefully pulse to a chunky purée. Alternatively, finely chop dates and put into a small heatproof bowl with the water and leave to soak for 10min.

2 In a large bowl, whisk the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and date purée/chopped date mixture with 75g sticky toffee sauce. Whisk in flour and a pinch of salt until combined, then scrape into the greased dish. Tightly cover with microwave-safe clingfilm and cook at 750W for 4-5min, until the sponge has stopped rising and is mostly firm to the touch (a small sticky patch in the centre is fine).

3 Spoon over the remaining 125g toffee sauce, re-cover with the clingfilm, and cook at the same power for 30sec. Leave to cool, covered, for 10min, then serve with extra sauce and vanilla ice cream, if you like. PER SERVING 741cals, 6g protein, 40g fat (25g saturates), 90g carbs (61g total sugars), 2g fibre