Fusion Recipe: Teh Tarik Sticky Toffee Pudding
This dessert is a soulful reimagining of the classic British pudding, infused with the nostalgic, malty notes of Malaysian Teh Tarik (pulled tea). By steeping strong black tea into the date base, we create a deep, tannic complexity that balances the natural sweetness of the fruit. To keep this version more health-conscious and diabetes-friendly, we utilise the natural fibre of whole dates and substitute refined sugars with lower-glycemic alternatives. The result is a moist, sponge-like cake with a frothy, tea-infused "toffee" sauce that captures the essence of a bustling mamak stall in a single, decadent bite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pitted Medjool dates, chopped
- 3 Strong black tea bags (Ceylon or Assam)
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 cup Melted coconut oil or grass-fed butter
- 1 Large egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Oat flour or almond flour (for lower GI)
- 1/2 cup Monk fruit sweetener (or coconut sugar)
- Sauce: 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1 tsp strong tea concentrate, and 2 tbsp maple syrup.
Instructions
- Steep: Boil 3/4 cup water. Steep tea bags for 5 minutes (make it very strong). Remove bags, add dates and baking soda. Let soak for 10 minutes, then mash into a paste.
- Mix: Whisk the oil, sweetener, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the date/tea mixture, then gently fold in the flour.
- Bake: Pour into greased ramekins. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Sauce: Simmer sauce ingredients in a pan until thickened. Poke holes in the warm puddings and pour the tea-toffee sauce over the top.
Tips for Success
- The Tea Strength: Don't be afraid to squeeze the tea bags! You want that astringent "pull" of the tea to cut through the richness of the dates.
- Diabetes-Friendly Hack: Using oat flour adds beta-glucan fibre, which slows down sugar absorption. Pairing the pudding with a dollop of unsweetened Greek yogurt instead of ice cream adds protein to further stabilise blood sugar.
- Natural Sweetness: Because Medjool dates are incredibly sweet, you can often reduce the added sweetener in the batter by half without losing the dessert experience.
