Preheat oven to 160'c/320'f

Butter and flour the insides of around 18 Dariol Moulds

Chop the dates and place in a pan

Pour water over and bring to the boil

Add bicarb soda and blitz up with a hand blender until thick

Cream the sugar and butter together in a large mixng bowl

Add eggs in 1 at a time, mixing inbetween

Add syrup, treacle and vanilla essence and mix together

Add flours and mix well

Add date mixture to other mixture and mix well together

Spoon mixture into Dariol Moulds (around 3/4 way up) then cover tightly with aluminum foil

Place Dariol Moulds into a deep tray and fill with hot water up to the necks

Place tray in the oven for 35 minutes

When ready, take moulds out the water and leave to cool slightly for 10 minutes

Then take aluminum foil off and take a knife over the top of the moulds to cut excess pudding off and make them all same size

Using your fingers, gently pull puddings away from the wall of the moulds, turn upside down and gently tap on table to allow pudding to fall out