OLD CAPE BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
• You need a large ovenproof pudding dish, or 2 pie plates. Grease or spray with nonstick spray.
• Put the chopped dates in a bowl. Add the baking soda, and pour over the boiling water.
• Stir to mix and leave to cool.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until creamy (I use caster sugar, which, being fine, creams more easily). Add the beaten eggs and mix well.
• Sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt, then fold it into the creamed mixture.
• Stir in the date mixture, and then the nuts. Fold in thoroughly.
• Ladle into your prepared dish or pie plates, and put into oven. The baking time is approximately 50 minutes, but will depend on the dishes used. Test with a skewer, but a few crumbs will often adhere to the stick even when the pudding is done.
• While it's baking, make the syrup.
• Heat the sugar, butter and water together, stirring, until sugar has melted almost completely. Do not boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt and brandy.
• When the pudding or pies come out of the oven, pour over the hot syrup. It will sink in slowly.
• Serve hot or cold with ice cream, whipped cream or custard.