There is a great combination of textures in these very light puddings, which are served with a delicious toffee sauce.
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Serves: 4–6
Time to prepare: 20 mins
Time to cook: 35 mins
Dietary requirements: Gluten-free, Vegan (with substitutions)
Ingredients
For the topping:
50g light muscovado sugar
50g pecan nuts, chopped
100g ready to eat dried apricots and chopped pecan nut halves, to garnish
For the almond base:
75g butter or vegan margarine*
60ml maple syrup or soft brown sugar
1 free range egg, beaten or 1 tbsp soya flour mixed with 2 tbsp water*
75g ground almonds
25g soya flour
½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
Few drops vanilla essence
For the toffee sauce:
200g light muscovado sugar
90ml double cream or soya cream*
100g unsalted butter or vegan margarine*
½ tsp vanilla essence
25g pecan nuts, chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
To make the topping, mix all the sugar, chopped pecans and dried apricots together. Divide equally between 4 well-greased individual ramekins.
Cream the butter or margarine* for the base with the maple syrup or sugar. Add the egg or soya flour paste and mix well. Stir in the almonds, soya flour, gluten-free baking powder and vanilla essence.
Spoon the mixture into the ramekins, place on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 20–30 minutes.
Make the sauce: put the sugar in a saucepan and use a wooden spoon to crush any lumps. Add the cream and butter (or soya cream* and vegan margarine*) and stir together over a gentle heat until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2–3 minutes until toffee-coloured. Remove from the heat, then stir in the vanilla essence and chopped pecans.
Turn each pudding out onto a serving plate. Decorate with pecan halves. Spoon a little toffee sauce around the puddings and serve immediately.
