Ingredients
500 g packet pitted dates, chopped by hand or blitzed in the food processor
125 g butter, cut into cubes
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups boiling water
3 ½ cups self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line two 22cm x 10cm loaf tins with baking paper.
- Transfer chopped dates into a bowl along with the butter, brown sugar and vanilla essence.
- Pour the boiling water over the top and let it sit for a few moments, until the butter is melted. If you have pulsed the dates in a food processor, give the mixture a stir to break up them up.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and give it a good mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Divide the mixture between the lined loaf tins. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through (every oven is different, so test by inserting a skewer into the centre of the loaf. – if the skewer comes out clean, the loaf is cooked).
- Cool on a wire rack when done. Serve warm with butter. The extra load can be frozen when cooled down.
