COOK'S CORNER THE PROOF IS IN THIS PUDDING.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Delores Hamilton of Winnetka called and then wrote about getting a recipe for a delicious Sticky Toffee Pudding (cake) that she had recently sampled. The pudding cake was found in the freezer section at Bristol Farms and it was indeed tasty - very rich and sweet - and pricey.

By a fluke I was perusing a new cookbook, ``Restaurant Favorites at Home,'' by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine (America's Test Kitchen; $29.95) and found a Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe that sounded exactly like what Hamilton was looking for. It was adapted from Biga on the Banks restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, and tested in the magazine's kitchens. The pudding is English. Here's the recipe from the book (which, by the way, has 150 other tempting recipes adapted from restaurants throughout the country). Enjoy!

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

CUSTARD SAUCE:

2/3 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, seeds removed, seeds and pod reserved

4 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon honey

PUDDING:

5 tablespoons (1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing ramekins

1/2 pound whole pitted dates, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 

2/3 cup boiling water, plus more for water bath

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup mild OR light molasses 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

TOFFEE SAUCE:

2 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 

Pinch salt

Prepare Custard Sauce: Bring milk and vanilla seeds and pod to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When milk reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low. Whisk egg yolks, granulated sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk 3 tablespoons of hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Slowly whisk tempered egg yolk mixture into simmering hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is quite thick (heavily coats back of a spoon) and registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.

Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and stir in honey. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed (or place in the freezer to chill immediately).

To prepare Pudding: Grease 6 (4-ounce) ramekins with butter and line bottoms with small rounds of parchment paper. Arrange ramekins in a small roasting pan lined with a clean dish towel (to prevent from sliding around in pan). Combine dates, baking soda and 2/3 cup boiling water in a medium bowl and set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat 5 tablespoons butter and dark brown sugar together on medium-low speed until just mixed, about 1 minute. Add molasses and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down paddle and bowl using a rubber spatula. Resume mixing on medium-low, add egg and beat until just combined. Add date mixture and mix to combine. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Fill roasting pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of ramekins, making sure not to splash it in the puddings. Cover pan tightly with foil, crimping edges to seal. Bake puddings in middle of a preheated 325-degree oven about 35 minutes, until they are slightly puffed and a butter knife inserted into center of puddings comes out clean.

For Toffee Sauce: Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in light brown sugar and cook, whisking occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 250 degrees F. Carefully whisk in cream and salt and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and transfer to a glass measuring cup. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to keep warm. (To reheat toffee sauce, if necessary, microwave it, covered, on 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until hot, 3 to 6 minutes.)

To serve, transfer hot puddings to a wire rack to cool slightly. Run a paring knife around edges of ramekins to loosen puddings. Overturn ramekins into 6 large, shallow, individual bowls, releasing the puddings. Pour cold Custard Sauce, as desired, around each pudding. Pour warm Toffee Sauce, as desired, over top of each pudding and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.