Grandma's Malva and Sticky Date Pudding
Two great pudding traditions combined into one dish that earns its place as the finale to any meal. The sticky date pudding is a beloved Australian classic. Malva pudding is what South African grandmothers made for Sunday lunch - a soft, sticky, apricot-scented sponge drenched in a hot butter and cream sauce the moment it comes out of the oven. The apricot jam and white vinegar in the batter are the two ingredients that make it a Malva. Neither can be skipped. Neither tastes like itself in the final pudding - together they create something that has been made in Portuguese and South African kitchens for generations.
Ingredients
PUDDING INGREDIENTS
- Quantity of Grandma's Pantry Sticky Date Pudding Mix as per pack instructions for your batch size
- Additional ingredients as per pack instructions
- 2 tablespoons smooth apricot jam
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
MALVA SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup thickened cream
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 0.5 cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons smooth apricot jam
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the Pudding
- Prepare the Sticky Date Pudding batter according to the pack instructions. Before pouring into the tin, stir in the apricot jam, white vinegar and melted butter. These three additions are what transform a sticky date pudding into a Malva. The vinegar activates the spread and creates the characteristic open crumb that absorbs the sauce. The apricot is the flavour note that makes it South African. Do not leave them out.
Bake
- Pour the batter into a greased 30 x 20 cm baking dish and bake according to pack instructions until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Make the Malva Sauce
- While the pudding bakes, combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth and glossy. Keep it at a gentle simmer - do not allow it to boil hard.
Sauce the Pudding
- The moment the pudding comes out of the oven, use a skewer to poke holes all over the surface at 2cm intervals. Pour the entire batch of hot Malva Sauce slowly and evenly over the pudding. It will bubble and hiss as it soaks in. Pour every last drop - this is not a drizzle, it is a drenching. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting. The pudding will have absorbed the sauce and become dense, sticky and deeply flavoured throughout.
Serve
- Serve warm in generous squares with thick cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream. A small extra drizzle of Noosa Black Garlic Honey over the cream at the table adds a depth that is completely unexpected and completely right.
Notes
THE SAUCE IS EVERYTHING: This is not an optional step and it is not a sauce served on the side. The defining characteristic of a Malva pudding is that the sauce is poured in quantity over the hot pudding the moment it comes out of the oven and absorbed completely before serving.
THE VINEGAR: It sounds wrong. It tastes exactly right. It is a traditional Malva ingredient that reacts with the bicarb in the mix to give the pudding its characteristic open crumb that absorbs the sauce so completely.
THE APRICOT JAM: Use smooth only. Chunky jam will not incorporate properly into the batter.
MAKE IT AHEAD: This pudding is better reheated the next day once the sauce has fully penetrated the crumb. Cover and refrigerate, then warm individual portions in the microwave or return the whole dish covered in foil to a 160 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
THE VINEGAR: It sounds wrong. It tastes exactly right. It is a traditional Malva ingredient that reacts with the bicarb in the mix to give the pudding its characteristic open crumb that absorbs the sauce so completely.
THE APRICOT JAM: Use smooth only. Chunky jam will not incorporate properly into the batter.
MAKE IT AHEAD: This pudding is better reheated the next day once the sauce has fully penetrated the crumb. Cover and refrigerate, then warm individual portions in the microwave or return the whole dish covered in foil to a 160 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.