When I did my sabbatical in England, I fell in love with sticky toffee pudding, that dark, gooey, and irresistibly sweet dessert. The magic of sticky toffee pudding lies in its primary sweeteners: dates and brown sugar, which create a rich, caramelly flavor. Craving these notes as fall approaches, I decided to merge them with a simple muffin recipe. I have a collection of one-bowl muffin recipes, so I modified one to create a sticky toffee pudding-inspired muffin. This version is a healthier alternative to the traditional pudding, as it gets most of its natural sweetness from dates. It's a perfectly justifiable choice as a light dessert or even a breakfast! One-bowl sticky date muffins 8 ounces dates (pitted) 1 cup very hot water 4 T (1/4 cup) butter 2 cups self-rising flour 2/3 cup dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 medium eggs 1/2 cup milk of choice 1/2 t cinnamon (optional) Cover dates with 1 cup very hot water. Let soak for at least 15 minutes, then mash the dates wi...