Place both dates and water in a pot with a lid on, bring to a simmer and cook until soft. Blend with a stick blender and pass through a sieve, set aside.
Gently heat golden syrup, add sugar and butter until dissolved, stir in cream and allow to boil. Add bourbon and salt to taste.
Preheat oven to 140 °C. Grease moulds with butter and place a teaspoon of toffee sauce in each. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, flour, and baking powder to date puree to make a smooth paste. Pour into moulds and bake in a water bath for 50 minutes at 140 °C.
Turn out onto a plate, pour toffee sauce over the pudding, and serve with vanilla ice cream. Optionally, add hokey pokey or honeycomb.
