Sticky Toffee Pudding (2024)

FAQs

Does America have sticky toffee pudding? ›

The beloved British classic is popping up on dessert menus across the United States, from natural wine bars to Harry Potter World. Sticky toffee pudding is a clear communicator.

Like the Christmas pudding and figgy puddings before it, the sticky toffee pudding is usually steamed for maximum moisture. Instead of figs, however, very finely chopped dates are added to the cake, which gets covered in a toffee sauce.

While a few different restaurants across England claim they created the dessert, the Scots argue that it was first served at the Udny Arms Hotel Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1967, where it is still expertly served to this day.

What Does Sticky Toffee Pudding Taste Like? Sticky toffee pudding has a decadent, soft and almost chewy caramel/toffee flavor and texture.

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This pudding terminology is common in North America and some European countries such as the Netherlands, whilst in Britain, egg-thickened puddings are considered custards and starch-thickened puddings called blancmange. Table cream is a dessert, similar to blancmange.

As time went on other dried fruits were used in the cake but the word “figgy” stuck around. By the Victorian era raisins and currants were typically the fruits to use, although confusingly raisins (and dried fruit in general) were known as “plums” at the time — hence why the dish is sometimes called “plum pudding.”

History of Figgy Pudding

Rather than creamy puddings and custards, which Southern cooks are familiar with, this Christmas pudding dates back to medieval England and is a steamed cake full of spices, raisins, and currants soaked in brandy. If it contains figs, it is called a figgy pudding.

Although its origins are unclear, it was likely invented during the 20th century in the Lake District of northwest England, from where its popularity spread across the country.

One of the all-time favourite British desserts sticky toffee pudding is super-sweet so will overwhelm most wines you might think of pairing with it so what should you choose? Your best bet is a sweet fortified wine like tawny port, sherry or Madeira, a beer (believe it or not!) or a whisky liqueur.

What is a fun fact about sticky toffee pudding? ›

Fun fact: In New Zealand and Australia the dish is called sticky date pudding. Because no one knows exactly where sticky toffee pudding was created, it's unclear how the addition of dates was added, but it's certain you can't make the recipe without them.

A sticky toffee pudding is most commonly served with custard or vanilla ice cream, the vanilla flavour of these complementing the richer flavours of the pudding. It may also be served with single cream.

Unfortunately though these type of self-saucing puddings do not reheat very well as the sauce tends to thicken and be absorbed by the sponge as the pudding cools. So when you reheat the pudding it will have a sticky base but with very little sauce.

Do the puddings need to be refrigerated? Yes!

Custard might be too thick, even if served cold - I'd recommend vanilla ice cream, as that's a personal favourite of mine!

United Kingdom

Sticky toffee pudding / Origin

Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood.

United States

In America, the tradition of the Christmas pudding had already arrived in pre-independence days. A book entitled The Williamsburg Art of Cookery by Helen Bullock was published in the U.S. as early as 1742.