Steam Ginger and Date Puddings

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease 6 pudding ramekins and line the bases with baking paper. Place the ramekins on a baking tray.

Starting with the sponges, pour the milk into a small pan and bring to the boil. Add the dates and bicarbonate of soda, stir and remove from the heat to cool.

In a separate pan, place the butter, sugar, treacle and stem ginger, allowing to gently simmer until the butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Scrape into a blender with ½ the date mixture and blend into a puree to be added to the dry ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour and spices. Make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Add the blended mixture, along with the remaining date mixture. Mix by folding a whisk through the batter gently until no dry patches are visible.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins, leaving 2cm between the batter and top rim of the ramekins and bake for 20 minutes until the tops are puffed up.

For the sauce, place all of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan to simmer. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 6-8 minutes until the mixture has turned glossy and the colour has deepened to a rich chestnut. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

To serve, use a small palette or butter knife to loosen the puddings before turning out onto small plates. Pour over sauce and serve with a generous scoop of Yeo Valley Organic vanilla ice cream.