Parsnip butterscotch pudding
Serves: 4
Total time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Parsnip butterscotch pudding
It may sound a surprising ingredient for a dessert, but parsnips give these indulgent little puds a subtle earthy sweetness. Why not ask your guests to try to guess the secret ingredient?
Serves: 4
Total time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
640Kcal
Fat
32gr
Saturates
19gr
Carbs
80gr
Sugars
57gr
Fibre
5gr
Protein
6gr
Salt
1.3gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 150g Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 50g soft butter, plus extra to grease
- 50g light brown sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 ball stem ginger, finely chopped
- 100g self-raising flour
- 100g coarsely grated parsnip (1-2 parsnips)
- vanilla ice cream or cream, to serve
For the butterscotch sauce
- 100ml double cream
- 75g dark brown sugar
- 30g butter
- pinch sea salt flakes
Step by step
Get ahead
The puddings and sauce can both be made a day ahead, or frozen. Defrost if necessary and warm through before serving. The sauce can also be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Grease 4 x 170ml pudding moulds with butter then line the base of each with a circle of baking paper.
- Put the dates in a small saucepan with the tea bag, 120ml water, the vanilla, mixed spice and bicarb. Bring up to a simmer then cook over a gentle heat, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes until the dates are soft. Discard the tea bag and coarsely mash the dates and remaining liquid together with a fork. Leave to cool.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, chopped stem ginger and the date mixture.
- Stir in the flour and grated parsnip until combined. Spoon into the prepared pudding moulds and put on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make the butterscotch sauce. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Allow the puddings to cool in the moulds for 5 minutes. Turn out and serve warm with the butterscotch sauce and ice cream or cream.
