Your buns deserve this date butter

I am forever obsessed and impressed by the capacity of a date to become “sticky toffee”. I think the self-saucing sticky toffee pudding from Nigella Bites, whereby you pour a kettle of hot water over the top of a date-based cake batter, extra sugar and some blobs of butter, was one of my most formative moments of baking alchemy.

Want to transform your life? Make this butter, smother it across your buns, your crumpets, your life, and marvel at the sticky toffee magic of it all.

Makes 165g. Ready in 10 minutes.
salted butter 100g, softened
stoned dates 50g
milk 3 tbsp
golden syrup ½ tbsp
cinnamon 1 pinch

In a blender or food processor, blitz all of the ingredients until evenly combined.

This is now officially delicious, but if you feel like it, you can and should transfer it to a bowl and use a hand mixer or a whisk to whip it until it’s pale, fluffy and ethereal.

Apply liberally to toast, crumpets, buns, your life. Store in the fridge.

Food styling: Joss Herd. Prop styling: Tabitha Hawkins