Sticky Maple Pudding

Preheat oven to 350 ?F and grease and flour eight 5-ounce ramekins and place them in a baking dish.

For sauce, melt butter, maple syrup and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once bubbling, add cinnamon, orange juice and rum and return to a simmer, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Spoon 2 Tbsp of sauce into
each ramekin and reserve rest of the sauce to serve with puddings.

Roughly chop dates and simmer in orange juice and maple syrup, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Let cool while preparing batter.

Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with date mixture, stirring well after each addition, starting and ending with flour. Spoon batter evenly between prepared ramekins. Pour boiling water around ramekins (coming up ½ inch) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of a pudding comes out clean. Remove from water bath and allow to cool at least 10 minutes, and unmold to serve. Reheat toffee sauce and spoon over warm puddings.