200g dates pitted and chopped
1 cup of water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100 grams of butter
2/3 cup of castor sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups of Self Raising Flour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Brush a 20 cm cake tin with butter or oil and line bottom with baking paper.
Combine dates and water in small pan, bring to the boil. Remove from heat and stir in soda. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar in small bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually beating thoroughly after each addition. Add essence beat until combined. Transfer to large bowl.
Using a metal spoon fold flour with dates and liquid and stir until combined. Do not over beat. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes. Test with skewer. Leave in tin 10 minutes before turning out of tin.

Sauce;

1 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup of cream
100 grams of butter

Combine sugar, cream and butter in small pan. Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolve. Bring to the boil reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
Cut pudding into wedges and pour sauce over top to serve.

Caramel Bread Pudding

2/3 cup of castor sugar
2 tbls water
500 grams of panettone or brioche
1/2 cup caster sugar. extra
2 cups of milk
2 wide strips of lemon rind, pith removed

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 23 cm loaf tin.
Combine sugar and water in a small pan, stir over heat without boiling until sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce heat slightly and simmer without stirring for 10 minutes until syrup becomes a rich golden colour. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Pour into prepared tin and allow to cool.
Using a large serrated knife cut panettone into 2 cm thick slices and remove crusts. Trim into large pieces to fit tin in three layers, filling any gaps with panettone cut to size.
Combine extra sugar, milk and lemon rind in medium pan. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil remove from heat and transfer to a jug. To cool and absorb lemon flavour.
Remove rind and whisk in eggs. Pour gradually into tin, allow to soak into panettone between each addition.
Place tin in a large baking dish and pour in enough hot water to come half way up the sides. Bake for 50 minutes until just set. Remove tin from baking dish and cool, then refrigerate pudding overnight. Turn onto plate and cut into slices.
Serve with fresh cream.

Almond Orange Syrup Pudding

125 grams of butter
3/4 cup of castor sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
3 tsp finely grated orange rind
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
1 cup semolina
1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 20 cm ring tin and line base with baking paper.
Using electric beater beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating well between each addition. Add rind beat until combined.
Transfer to a large bowl. Using a metal spoon fold in almonds and semolina alternately with juice. Stir until just combined and mixture is smooth. Spoon into prepared tin and smooth surface. Bake for 40 minutes and test with skewer.

Syrup;

1 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup caster sugar

Combine juice and sugar in pan, stir over moderate heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to the boil reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Brush half of syrup over warm cake while still in tin. Leave 3 minutes then place on serving plate. Brush remaining syrup over cake surface. Fill center of cake with Blueberries and dust with icing sugar.
Serve with cream.