Magazine Monday: It's A Date

This recipe has been kicking around in the ugly binder for way too long. I kept pulling it out then deciding that the kids wouldn't like it/I didn't have any dates in the pantry/I'd best use up the blackened bananas and make Donna Hay's Banana Bread yet again instead. I finally put the recipe on my kitchen bench so that it screamed "make me" every time I stepped foot in the kitchen. I finally made it yesterday figuring it would do for lunch-boxes this week and if the kids didn't like it, well, Hubby would have battled manfully through. To declare this an instant hit would be an understatement. It was pounced upon by the smaller members of the household and Hubby wandered in from the yard demanding to know what "that great smell" was. In fact, this was so good warm from the oven with butter melting into it that I was a little concerned about how it would stand up the next day. The worrying was pointless. If anything, this is actually better today. I think we just found us a new favourite! It didn't hurt that the whole thing is mixed in a saucepan making the cleanup nice and easy too.

Date Loaf

from Australian Table magazine, June 2009

1 cup (140g)chopped dates

3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar

20g butter, plus extra to serve

1 cup (250ml) boiling water

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1. Preheat oven to 190C or 170C fan. Lightly grease and line base and sides of a 14 x 21cm loaf pan.

2. Place dates, sugar and butter in a large saucepan. Stir in boiling water and boil on high heat for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in bicarbonate of soda. Fold through beaten egg and flour. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool and serve sliced with butter or store in an airtight container.