Banana & Date Loaf (no added sugar)

banana & date loaf, fresh from the oven...

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that I had two very very very ripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl.  When my husband took our 18 month old out to the shops I knew it was the perfect time to do some cooking.
This is a slight variation of a recipe I found in a mag, I took the maple syrup out.  You can add it back if you want to but I don't think it needs it.  Instead I just added a little cinnamon and nutmeg.
Be warned, messy cookers... you will get in a mess with this one!  Lots of bowls and measuring jugs and spoons and flour and goo everywhere!  But good fun and quiet... good for nap time cooking (for you mothers out there).  Things in brackets are optional suggestions for diabetics/health nuts.

Ingredients
1 cup pitted dried dates, chopped
1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda
1/2 cup water
11/2 cups self raising flour (wholegrain)
3/4 cup plain flour (wholegrain)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
125g butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk (skim)
2 over-ripe bananas, mashed

Step by Step

One... preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan-forced.

Two... Grease a 9cm deep, 11.5cm x 20cm loaf pan.  Line the base and sides with baking paper, extending the paper 2cm from the edge on the long sides (I always make a dogs breakfast with the baking paper... just make sure you can pull your loaf out of the tin when done).

Three... Place dates and 1/2 a cup of water in a small saucepan over a high heat.  Bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 3 minutes or until mixture is pulpy.  Remove from heat.  Stir in bicarb soda (such fun).  Sit to cool for 5 minutes.

Four... Sift flours into a bowl.

Five... Stir in coconut and spices.

Six... Make a well. Add butter, eggs, milk, banana and date mixture.  Stir really well to combine - make sure you get any little pockets of flour... helps if you have a clear glass bowl.

Seven... Pour mixture into your prepared pan and make the top nice and flat with a spatula.

Bake...  1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean (cover cake loosely with foil if over-browning during cooking.)  Let cool on a wire rack and serve while warm with some heart-tick marge or nothing at all!

Note: I just realised as I wrote out this recipe that I forgot to put eggs in mine... still turned out pretty good.  So, if you're allergic to eggs... winner winner!