June Gloom Fighter (But It's Fattening)

I've been enjoying Patrick Taylor's series - Irish Country Courtship/Doctor/Christmas - for some time now. They're what's known as "British cozies" in literary-speak and the cast is the senior doctor, his new partner doctor, their housekeeper, various love interests as well as all of the characters in the village of Ballybucklebo in Northern Ireland.

The cook, "Kinky" Kincaid" is a marvel in her kitchen and at the end of every book, she shares a recipe or two. This sounded wonderful to me since I like butterscotch/caramel better than chocolate.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING AND BUTTERSCOTH SAUCE
1 cup dates, chopped
1 1/3 cups hot tea
Oil for greasing pans
1/2 cup swet butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
3 eggs
1 teas. bicarbonate of soda
1 teas. vanilla essence
1 teas. instant coffee

Soak the dates in the tea. Cream together the butter and sugar and beat in the egs one at a time. Fold in the flour.

Add the vanilla, instant coffee and soda to the date and tea mixture and stir it into the creamed mixture. Pour it into individual, greased rounds and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes - until the cakes are firm and starting to come way from the sides. Set aside to cool.

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream (horrors!)
1 cup Irish whiskey
1 T vanilla essence

Melt the butter in a pan and when it bubbles, add the sugar and stir until it bubbles again. Pour in the cream and then the whiskey and return to the boil for a minute or two and then take it off of the fire. Let it cool a bit before you stir in the vanilla.

I would add: Be careful when you add the whiskey as it is flammable.