STICKY DATE PUDDINGS WITH BURNT CARAMEL SAUCE

20m prep 35m cook 8 servings

5 METHOD STEPS

STEP 1

• Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced.

• Grease 8 holes of 2 x 6-hole, 3/4-cup-capacity Texas muffn pans.

• Line base of each hole with a round of baking pape

STEP 2

• Combine dates, boiling water and bicarbonate of soda in a large heatproof bowl.

• Set aside for 10 minutes to soak.

STEP 3

• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fuffy.

• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until just combined.

• Stir in combined fours, cinnamon and date mixture.

• Spoon evenly among prepared holes.

• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of 1 pudding comes out clean.

• Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

STEP 4

• Meanwhile, make Burnt caramel sauce Place caster sugar in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat.

• Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes until sugar melts and caramelises to a dark brown.

• Remove from heat. Carefully pour in the cream (mixture will spatter at this stage).

• Add salt and butter. Return to low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until toffee dissolves and sauce thickens slightly.

STEP 5

• Transfer puddings to serving plates. Drizzle with hot caramel sauce. Serve with double cream.

14 Ingredients

• 2 cups pitted dates, fnely chopped

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 125g butter, softened

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup self-raising four

• 1/2 cup plain four

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• Double cream, to serve

BURNT CARAMEL SAUCE

• 1 cup caster sugar

• 300ml pure cream

• 1 tsp sea salt fakes

• 50g butter

The latest ABS government fnance fgures show that total property taxes covering all State and Local governments throughout Australia totalled $36.4 billion last fnancial year (2021/2022) and property taxes by State and Local governments overall surged by 67 percent during the tenyear period from 2012 to 2022.

Over the last decade, property tax collections increased nationally by $14.7 billion to $36.4 billion – a rise of 68 per cent.

This annual $36.4 billion in government property taxes equates to property tax collections of $100 million every day according to Kevin Young President of Property Club, Australia’s largest independent property investment group.

“And these fgures do not include the billions of dollars collected by the Federal Government from taxes on the property sector such as GST and capital gains taxes.

“Rising property taxes are forcing property investors to sell their properties during an unprecedented rental crisis in Australia.

“Property Club members throughout Australia are selling their investment properties after being hit by increasing levels of government taxation including the decision by the Federal Government in 2017 to remove depreciation benefts from second hand rental properties.

“It is time for all levels of government to stop using property owners as a cash cow and share the burden of taxation more fairly with other investors such as those who invest in the stock market.

“That is why Property Club is urging government to introduce a new share trading tax to offset the massive increase in property taxes over the last decade.

“When the GST was introduced, government gave a commitment to remove stamp duty on property.

“This never happened but it was removed on share trading due to lobbying by the powerful fnance sector.

“Mum and dad property owners cannot spend millions of dollars on lobbying government like the fnance industry. Because of this lobbying, the fnance industry has been given preferential treatment over property owners which has created a major distortion in our taxation regime.

“The reality is that property owners were shortchanged by the failure of government to abolish stamp duty on property after the introduction of the GST nearly two decades ago.

“A special annual tax on share trading would help enable stamp duty to be abolished on property and no further increase in land taxes.

“In addition, tax depreciation benefts should be restored to second hand rental properties by the Federal Government.

“The only way to solve the housing crisis in Australia is to reduce taxes on the property sector and this proposal by Property Club would be a major frst step in this sound policy direction” he said.