Rum & raisin puddings

Ingredients

• 200 g dates 
• 225 ml milk hot
• 200 g raisins 
• 100 ml rum 
• 150 ml unrefined sunflower oil for greasing
• 3  eggs with a fork beaten
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 250 g self raising flour 
• 175 g g muscovado sugar light soft
• 9 servings crème fraîche 
• 140 g butter salted
• 140 g g muscovado sugar light soft
• 300 ml double cream 
• 50 ml rum 
• 50 g raisins 

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• oven
• knife
• baking pan
• aluminum foil
• skewers

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas
2. Mix the dates with the hot milk and set aside for 20 mins.
3. Mix the raisins with the rum and do the same. Grease 9 dariole or small pudding moulds and sit them in a deep roasting tin or baking dish.
4. Put the kettle on.
5. Whizz the dates and milk together in a food processor until you have a smooth pure, then scrape into a large bowl and mix with the oil and eggs, before stirring in the bicarbonate of soda, flour and sugar. Finally fold in the rum-soaked raisins and any rum left in the bowl. Divide between the darioles, then carefully pour boiling water into the tin or dish so it comes two-thirds to halfway up the sides of the darioles.
6. Bake for 20-25 mins on a low shelf in the oven.
7. Check the puds are done with a skewer, then lift out and cool a little. For the sauce melt the butter, sugar and cream together, then turn up the heat until it bubbles and comes together into a smooth, shiny sauce. Stir in the rum and raisins and cool. Turn out the puddings from the moulds, scraping around the sides of each with a blunt cutlery knife first. Line up in a shallow baking dish and cover with cling film. Keep the puds and sauce somewhere cool for up to 24 hrs.
8. To serve spoon a little sauce and raisins over each pud, then pour the rest around (if the sauce has separated a little just gently reheat and stir back together). Cover the whole dish with a tent of foil. When the Christmas dinner is ready turn the oven down to 120C/100C fan/gas and reheat puddings for about 30-40 mins until hot.
9. Serve with crme frache.