RECIPE: Delicious Apple and Date Puddings

Have a friend coming over for a cuppa? Or perhaps you just fancy something sweet yourself? Either way, you don't have to look any further. Celebrity chef Edward Hayden has shared a delightful recipe for his Apple and Date Puddings with us. It's the perfect treat for a dinner party... actually, forget the party, just make them for yourself!                                                                                               Serves 8 Ingredients: 8oz/225g plain flour 1 level teaspoon of baking powder 2 level teaspoons of ground cinnamon 5oz/150g ready to eat dates-chopped 3oz/75g dark brown sugar 2oz/50g chopped walnuts 2 eating apples, peeled and grated 2 large eggs 3 ½ floz/100ml sunflower oil 4floz/125ml apple juice Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease 8 individual oven-proof pudding basins/ramekins (if you wish, you can make these in muffin tins either). 2. Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add in the brown sugar, dates, chopped walnuts, and grated apples and mix well. 3. In a separate bowl mix your eggs with the oil and the apple juice. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix well until the mixture is thoroughly combined. 4. Spoon into the prepare pudding basins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 5. Invert the puddings onto a wire rack or serving plate. Serve with some homemade custard or butterscotch sauce. Top Tips:

• Can be frozen for up to 8 weeks.
• This mixture can be made into a two pound loaf tin(cooked for approximately 1 hour)  or into two 7 inch sandwich tins and sandwiched together with some mascarpone cheese mixed with a little cream.

Bake Fest Galway 2014, a two day national baking festival, is returning to Leisureland Galway on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October. Bake Fest 2014 is a not for profit organisation and all proceeds will go to Ireland’s national meningitis support and awareness charity ACT for Meningitis.