Sticky toffee bread and butter pudding

Ingredients

200g//7oz stoned Medjool dates
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g/3oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
6 slices of white bread, crusts removed
6 free-range egg yolks
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped out
75g/3oz caster sugar
500ml/17fl oz double cream
For the sauce
100g/3½oz butter
100ml/3½fl oz golden syrup
100g/3½oz soft dark brown sugar
100ml/3½fl oz double cream
100g/3½oz stoned Medjool dates, finely chopped (optional)
splash of brandy
To serve
100g/3½oz raspberries
1-2 tbsp icing sugar
freshly ground black pepper
ginger wine
50g/2oz blueberries
50g/2oz raspberries
50g/2oz strawberries, hulled and quartered
demerera sugar, to glaze
icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
2. Place the dates and bicarbonate of soda in a saucepan and just cover with water. Simmer gently until the dates break down.
3. Butter the bread, then cut each slice in half to make triangles. Alternately layer the bread and dates in four buttered ramekins, starting and finishing with a layer of bread.
4. Beat together the whole eggs, yolks, seeds scraped from the vanilla pod and sugar in a bowl. Heat the cream to scalding point, then pour on to the egg mixture, mixing well. Pour over the bread and dates. Leave to soak for at least 20 minutes.
5. Set the baking dish in a roasting tray filled half-way up the sides with water and bake for 25 minutes or until the custard has set.
6. To make the sauce, simply combine the butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. When smooth and dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the cream, optional dates and brandy. Keep warm.
7. Purée the 100g/3½oz raspberries, icing sugar, pepper and wine in a food processor to form a coulis. Pass the coulis through a sieve and into a bowl. Roll the blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in the coulis. Preheat the grill to hot.
8. Sprinkle the top of the pudding evenly with demerera sugar and caramelise under a hot grill.
9. Serve a portion of pudding with the sauce and arrange the fruits and a little coulis around the edge. Dust with icing sugar, to finish.