Ingredients

• 1 cup of pitted Medjool dates
• 1 cup of boiling water
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda

Instructions

1. Make the date paste: Place the dates in a heatproof medium bowl, and pour the boiling water over them. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add the baking soda, and transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth, 30–45 seconds. Set aside.
2. Make the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the cubed croissants in a single layer on the parchment. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bread is very dry. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in ½ cup of the cooled date paste. Reserve the remaining date paste for serving.
4. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the butter. Arrange the dried croissant pieces evenly in the baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the croissants, and press down lightly to ensure they are submerged. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
5. Remove the foil from the baking dish, and bake the bread pudding, uncovered, for 45–50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden brown. The center should be slightly puffed, and no liquid custard should appear when you press gently on the top.
6. While the bread pudding bakes, make the toffee sauce: Stir together the brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally for 3–4 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Set aside.
7. Remove the bread pudding from the oven, and let it cool for 10 minutes. Slice and drizzle generously with the warm toffee sauce and the reserved date paste. Dust with powdered sugar.
8. Enjoy!