It’s June 1997, and The Verve have released their hit single Bitter Sweet Symphony. It is really quite a bleak song to be honest, but the title perfectly captures today’s recipe, Sticky Toffee Porter sticky toffee pudding. Yes, the great match of super sweet sticky dessert tempered with the bitter notes of the beer’s chocolate malt. I haven’t posted a pudding recipe before, and as this one is possibly my favourite pudding of all time, I thought I’d share it with you.

Sticky toffee pudding was popularised by Francis Coulson, chef patron of the UK’s first “country house hotel”, the award-winning Sharrow Bay Country House in the Lake District. Guests enjoyed the warm sponge drenched in toffee sauce in a dining room looking over Ullswater. Sticky toffee pudding gets its flavour from dates and the almost treacle or burnt toffee flavours from dark Muscovado sugar. The pudding was later sold as a ready-made takeaway version in the local village shop and is still made there today. Sticky toffee pudding is now a staple on many pub and restaurant menus.

Three Brothers Brewing Company was founded in 2016 in Teesside, confusingly by two brothers and a brother-in-law. The operation is still owned and managed by the family and now runs a taproom, bar hire business, and a fledgling distillery. Its Sticky Toffee is a traditional porter with lots of sweet, malty aromas, a great balance of bitterness from the roasted malt and lush caramel aftertaste. It is just like the flavours of a sticky toffee pudding in a bottle, and I would suggest buying an extra one or two to serve with your finished dish.

Sticky Toffee Porter sticky toffee pudding

300ml Three Brothers Brewing Sticky Toffee Porter

220g self-raising flour

200g dark Muscovado sugar

180g chopped dates

100g butter

A soft banana

2 free-range eggs

1.5tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Sauce

200g brown sugar

100ml Three Brothers Brewing Sticky Toffee Porter

200ml double cream

Large knob of butter

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4. In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan simmer the dates in the beer until soft. Allow to cool a little. In a mixing bowl mash the banana with a fork then add the dates and beer and stir together.

In a second bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and one tablespoon of flour and beat until thoroughly combined. If the mixture looks like it is splitting, add a little more flour at this point.

Sift in the remaining flour and baking powder, then stir continuously while slowly pouring in the date mix. When all the ingredients are combined, pour the finished cake batter into a lined 7x11-inch deep-sided baking tray.

Place in the centre of your oven for around 35-40 minutes, until a small sharp knife inserted into the centre of your pudding comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly, carefully remove from the tray, and cut into portions. The sponge can be made in advance, stored in an airtight container, and briefly reheated in a microwave before serving.

Sauce

Place all the ingredients into a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pan and bring to the boil. Whisk together and reduce slightly to form a smooth, thickened sauce. Pour the finished sauce over the pudding and serve with cream or ice cream.