how to win friends and influence people

My mum's sticky date pudding... the very last word in puddings. Pudding, as opposed to dessert, of course. Pudding is for comfort, for winter, for making people love you. Feed to those whose approval you desire, and watch them melt.

1 1/4 cups dried pitted dates, chopped roughly
1 cup water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
60g butter, cubed
2 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar (golden is my preference)
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

for the sauce:
3/4 cup brown sugar
150ml cream
125g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees celcius. Butter a 20cm square cake pan (or equivalent size) and line it with baking paper.
Place date chunks and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil, then put a lid on. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cook gently for about 10 minutes until the dates are jammy and there are no offensively big chunks.
Mix in the bicarb soda and the butter cubes. Mix in all the other ingredients, then whisk the two eggs lightly with a fork and add them too, mixing everything gently until smooth and combined. Make sure you taste the batter, it is almost spicy from the dates. You could even add a touch of cinnamon or mixed spice to amp this up, if you wished - just a thought.
Now pour the batter into the lined pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the cake is springy under your finger. A skewer should come out clean.

While your pudding is cooling, make the sauce by combining all ingredients in a small pan. Bring them to the boil, then simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve generous squares of the pudding, pouring the sticky, caramelly sauce over with reckless impunity.

Feed to the deserving, and bask in your well-earned love and admiration.