After a stressful day, feeling brow beaten and tired what can be nicer than relaxing with a glass of wine. Unfortunately this morning I heard on the radio about the BBC’s Newsbeat booze counter. Let me tell you, it is scary. It calculates exactly how alcohol is affecting your waistline and also your wallet.

But I need comfort! No a bath just won’t do it and I would much rather ‘waste’ those calories on something very very tasty to eat so here it is Sticky Toffee pudding! If you don’t want to make it gluten free just replace the Gluten free flour for normal self raising flour. The recipe is exactly the same. Just be prepared for it to go in one sitting because everyone will want seconds!

Ingredients

• 125g sultanas
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 175g butter
• 125g self raising flour ( I use Doves Farm GF self -raising flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder ( Gluten free of course)
• 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp of boiling water
• 175g brown sugar
• 100ml double cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4
2. Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper
3. Put the sultanas into a small saucepan with 100ml of water and bring to the boil, stir and then bring to the boil again. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda and the vanilla extract. It then foams up. I’ve no idea what the purpose of this is but then leave to one side.
4. Beat 75g butter and the caster sugar until creamy. Add one of the eggs and beat again, add the other egg with spoon of flour and beat again.
5. Add the remaining flour, the sultanas and the coffee and stir well.
6. Pour into the tin and bake for 30 minutes until springy to touch.
7. Melt the remaining butter with the brown sugar and the cream over a gentle heat allowing the sugar to dissolve and the butter to melt. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken slightly.
8. Cut the pudding into squares and pour over the sauce.
9. Try not to eat all at once, a tip- leave the sauce to seep through the pudding for a couple of minutes. Divine!

Serves a generous six portions at least

So, that is what I have comforted myself with tonight. I am sitting on my hands trying not to succumb to a second piece.

Recipe adapted from one in ASDA magazine