Two Awfully Sticky Dates...

This week I figuratively put my toe in the figurative water. I ventured out with not one, but two sticky dates. Reow.

Both had a lot in common. Dark, difficult to resist, tender yet coarse on the lips, and coped well under intense heat and pressure. Satisfying. Now, my partner and I have an agreement - we're both allowed to experiment. I like spontaneity, whereas my partner is more calculated with his choices. So I tentatively approached him with the news. How does one bring up the fact they're involved with TWO at the same time?!

Well, he got that handful of caution and threw it to the wind! He joined in! This is how things got a little ... sticky. But stickiness is difficult to avoid when cream and butterscotch sauce are involved.

Neither lasted long; though that comes as no surprise considering we've both got a track record of leaving no trace of the dental-caries-inducing desserts I bake. Especially considering sticky date pudding is one of our favourites...

What? Dessert -- pudding -- food? What did you think this post was about?!

Us. 

Here's some SFW evidence of the dark and saucy sticky date puddings I laboured over. The first is (supposed to be) a Sticky Date Roll from p196, the second is a Chocolate Sticky Date Cake from AWW Bake p50.

The sugar crystals are there because, for some reason, the recipe stipulates rolling the cooked cake in sugar before icing. The obesity epidemic is a myth.

Butterscotch - it is the best of sauces, it is the blurst of sauces

The chocolate was better, because woman opinion. The butterscotch cream is high on the list though.

As recommended: 
- Don't process the dates completely; I left the pits to be a bit chunkier second time 'round, and the date flavour was more pronounced.

-Don't bother using the expensive Cadbury's cocoa. Coles brand cocoa is a tad bitter, but that's fine in sugar-rich recipes like these.

- Make sure your blender is big enough to process the mixture. Though having hot-eggy-date mix spewed at you with impressive alacrity and precision makes a good story... if in doubt, divide the batch in two and process separately.

- You can freeze this cake in individual wedges for later. It'll keep for three months in the freezer, or a few days covered in the fridge. Microwave it for 30-40 seconds.

- You can keep the butterscotch sauce for up to a month, although it will solidify in the cold fridge. Just stir it every few days to, er, freshen it up/spread around the bacterial growth. Ahem.

- For the roll, use a proper pan. I didn't (HAVE YOU SEEN HOW EXPENSIVE SWISS ROLL PANS ARE THESE DAYS?!) use one; instead opting for a regular slice pan. It wasn't thin enough and didn't roll. Hence why the photo is decidely not roll-like.

- Don't drink the butterscotch sauce. More a snippet of good life advice than a recipe recommendation really.

The chocolate sticky date recipe is available from AWW's website here.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cups (200g) coarsely chopped dried dates
1¾ cups (430ml) water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
80g butter, softened
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder
2/3 cup (70g) roasted pecans, chopped

Butterscotch sauce
1¼ cups (280g) firmly packed brown sugar
80g butter
300ml cream

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS (Or simply, how to bake this cake)
1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fanforced. Grease deep 22cm-round cake pan; line base with baking paper.

2. Combine dates and the water in small saucepan; bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add soda; cover, stand 5 minutes. Blend or process until smooth.

3. Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time (mixture will curdle at this stage). Transfer mixture to large bowl; stir in sifted flour and cocoa, then stir in nuts and warm date mixture, in two batches. Pour mixture into pan.

4. Bake cake about 1 hour. Stand cake in pan 10 minutes; turn onto serving plate.

5. Make butterscotch sauce; serve hot sauce with cake and whipped cream, if desired.  
Butterscotch sauce
Stir ingredients in saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Simmer, without stirring, 3 minutes.

Devour.

Don't overfill it like this. Trust me.

Whipped cream + a few tbs butterscotch sauce

Use a Swiss Roll pan. This is not a Swiss Roll pan.

Half-blend the dates for more texture.

Try not to eat it raw. Or do. I know I did - I mean, what?

FUN FACT: Most dates sold in Australia come from Iran. Iran ranks second in the world for production of dates.

Any other tips (or fun facts) to add?

The Bachelor Finale - Part 2 Live!

8:08 Lisa is first to have her final date with the soon-to-be-not-a-Bachelor. The good folk at Ten have managed to get a hot air balloon for the pair. 

 What a glorious shot!

8:10 “We were just floating,” Blake tells those non-ballooners what it’s like up there over ‘wild Africa’. Lisa says ‘amazing’ various times. To be fair, neither of them have ever been in a hot-air balloon, so they have permission to gush.

In all honesty, I am jealous of this date. My boyfriend and I have been on an AirAsia flight before though, that was pretty much like ‘just floating’ and we got FACE TOWELS!

8:12 Hand-holding, kissing, suspenseful music. OH MY GOD.  Something big is going to happen! Will Lisa finally tell Blake she loves him? Or will she wait until she’s sure he will say it back?! #TheBachelorAU

8:15 Ad-break over, but the date is not! The two are headed to a fancy white marquee in the ‘middle of Africa’ for wine, and food that presumably won’t be touched (AGAIN! Mum, Dee and fruit platter – I’m virtually glaring at you).

Blake eloquently puts it: “I wanted to organise an out-of-Africa experience.” I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE POINT OF THAT, BLAKE!

8:19 Blake’s arm is draped around Lisa in this ‘out-of-Africa’ experience. She’s tastefully dressed in lemon, matching Blake’s white-tan ensemble. Applause to them for co-ordination. Why is the food not being touched though, guys?

Does anyone else think Lisa resembles Kate Middleton? 

8:21 LISA TELLS BLAKE SHE LOVES HIM! SHE’S CRACKED! Covering her blushing face, Blake tells her how happy that makes him feel (but not reciprocal, never reciprocal).

“I just wanted to make sure you were in the same spot as I was when I said it,” she blatantly lies.

Blake morphs back into inaudible-fan voice, and replies with something, but it’s definitely not ‘I love you, too’.

8:27 Lisa has to shove now, because it’s Sam’s time for a ‘wild Africa’ date. This time it’s a safari in a game reserve, sans hot-air balloon this time because, you know, Channel 10 doesn’t have that much money to rent that thing twice!

8:29 I’m throwing the challenge to our non-watchers out there. Can YOU name the ‘Big 5’ animals of Africa?

8:31 If you got

-          Lion

-          Leopards

-          Buffalo

-          Rhinoceros

-          … elephant?

Congratulations, your score is as good as Team Sam! I thought giraffe and zebra were on that list, too…

8:33 SELFIE TIME!

8:34 How’s the serenity?

“Thank you for this” says Sam, gesturing to the ‘wild’

 

8:34 Blake’s talking “brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrb real brbrbrbrb perfect”. Sam nods and then thanks Blake for ‘Africa’. Seems legit.

8:35 More smooching with the blonde one.

8:38 Once again, the date is not over until one of them (the girl) is crying with love. Blake’s organised an African choir performance (!!) and Sam is ecstatic. Who doesn’t love a personal choir?!

8:40 Sam round-about says she loves Blake. “I haven’t felt like this in a long time, and it’s very refreshing to be in love again,” she admits. What’s refreshing is polygamy.

8:41 Blake responds. “Wow!”

8:41 There’s lap-sitting actions. WEOW.

 

“I don’t want to share you anymore”

 

8:42 Sam’s mascara is running, but charmer Blake steps in to help blondie. Closing her eyes …

OHHHHH HE KISSES HER UNAWARES! HA! Nice move, Blake.

“Do you want to close you ey—“ OHHHH KISS ACTION REPLAY

And the dates with both women have come to a close.

8:45 Blake is shirtless by his ‘wild African’ pool contemplating his toughie – blonde or brunette?

“I’m feeling so excited to finally express my feelings to the woman I am in love with, but I also know I must say goodbye to a woman who is very special to me,” he whinges, sliding into the water.

Strangely, he shows no change in facial expression as he enters the water – I thought everyone had the scrunched-up face that accompanies difference in temperate? He ain’t human…

“I’m so ready to start my future with the love of my life!” 

Blake on Sam: “She’s someone who could be my best friend AND my partner for life”

Sam on Blake: “I am in love with Blake and it’s so real and genuine”

Blake on Lisa: “Lisa’s someone I feel in sync with, maybe more than anyone”

Lisa on Blake: “Blake and I have such an amazing relationship!”

Sam on Lisa: “Who are you?!”

Lisa on Sam: “No, who are YOU?!”

8:51 Shirtless Blake dressing again. More proof he can dress himself, ladies.

8:53 Aaaaand we’re back in ‘wild Africa’ for the moment everyone (probably only 1mil of you, really) has been waiting for! Who’s he going to give that $58,000 Bunda ring to?!! Blake’s dressed himself spiffily in a blue/grey suit (well-tailored, two ticks of approval). Sans tie though, but hey, when in Africa (?)

“Everything that’s happened in this journey, it has all come down to this,” mumbles Blake. I’m glad the producers thoroughly explained the deal of the game. Monogamy good. Polygamy bad.

8:55 OSHER IS BACK!

“So you have made a decision?” Osher confirms the rules with the soon-to-be not-Bachelor

8:56 Lisa steps out in a demure dark blue gown, thin straps and backless – very much living up to her fashion designer tag. Snazzy. But she’s first, what does this mean for this Noosa girl?

“Lis, what an AMAZING journey we’ve been on together,” Bachelor begins, but melancholic music is playing … my bachelor sense is tingling.

Side note, when has Bachelor ever referred to her as ‘Lis’? Or is it ‘Leese’?

“Lisa, I have so much love for you … so much love, but I’m in love with someone else,” Blake is beginning to cry.

I feel like this same situation in real life would NOT go down as smoothly. Lisa just keeps saying ‘it’s alright’ instead of expletives …

8:58 BUT THIS JUST MEANS … BLAKE IS GOING TO CHOOSE SAM!!!! 

8:59 Blake mumbles again. I get ‘man of your dreams’ amongst brbrbrbrbrbrbr. Lisa gets a peck on the CHEEK and is sent on a flight straight to BNE. At least they don’t live near each other; they can avoid the awkward run-in at the local shops, featuring trackpants and a trolley of ice-cream.

“I still believe in love, just not now” – Lisa cries, with no Bachelor to wipe her mascara away.

9:03 But let’s push those sad emotions out of the way because it’s Sam’s turn to be charmed by Blake.

*upbeat, optimistic music*

9:04 Sam’s smile is plastered across her face, as glittery sequins dazzle in the sunset light. She steps out of the car and flashes a grin to nervous-wreck Blake.

9:05 “I came into this experience looking for someone special. I wanted to find someone who was ready to challenge me, who was ready to support me, someone who can inspire me, and Sam I feel like you completely know me.

“I’ve felt a lot of love on this journey, but I’ve only been in love with one person.

“ … and that person is you, Sam!”

*cue squeals at home*

9:10 THIS HAPPENED!

9:12 “Samantha Frost, will you marry me?”

9:13 “A hundred per cent”

Why hasn’t she said ‘yes’ yet?!!!!

WHO CARES! HE PICKED SAM HE PICKED SAM! Bust out the footy franks and Tia Maria, followers at home. The Bachelor Australia has come to an end. Let’s celebrate the love (and the catchy African choir music that’s beginning to play).

What will the future hold for Blake and Sam?! Strangely, Ten has enforced a media blackout for Blake, Lisa and Sam over the next few days … strange indeed.

9:20 Well, that wraps up our live blog of The Bachelor Australia for 2014. We’ll see you ‘round next year! Goodnight!