DATE AND GINGER LOAF
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Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons dry instant coffee
- 1 cup/250g boiling water
- 375 dried, pitted dates
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 cup/150g self raising flour
Method
1) add coffee, boiling water and dates to TMX bowl - chop: 5 sec, speed 5
2) allow to soak in TMX bowl approx 2 hours (with lid on)
3) preheat oven 160 deg celcius, line your loaf pan (or if silicone pan, dust with a little flour)
4) add ginger and flour to the date mix
5) mix: 10 sec, speed 5 scrape down and then 5 sec, speed 5
6) bake 55 minutes (or when skewer comes out clean), allow to cool a bit before turning out onto a rack
Notes
I got this easy recipe from a 'Reader Recipe' which appeared in Healthy Food Guide magazine (I think December 2011 issue). The recipe says to soak the dates overnight or at least 2 hours, but I found the 2 hours ample. I just left my TMX bowl with the date mix on the machine and went out for awhile, got back and finished the recipe. You could process the dates less if you want it more chunky, but I like my dates fairly smooth so found this fine. I didn't taste much coffee in it but the result was flavoursome, moist and very sweet, I might try a bit more coffee next time. The ginger was a nice hit but I love ginger so reduce if you're not a big fan of ginger. I am also keen to give this a go with dried apricots with other complimentary flavour/spice (not ginger and coffee but something else maybe).
PS my photo looks like the centre isn't cooked quite through, but I just had to cut it while it was straight out the oven (impatient and excited) so still a bit soft. It has firmed up a bit now that it has cooled a bit. The recipe says cooking time should be 45-60 min and I did for 55min.
