Ingredients

Method

For the date butter:
• 150 g butter, softened
• 80 g dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 T maple syrup
For the batter:
• 200 g dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 500 g baby marrow, finely grated
• 250 g flour
• 80 g cocoa powder
• 1½ t bicarbonate of soda
• 1 t instant coffee
• ½ t baking powder
• 250 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 free-range eggs
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 120 g double-thick plain yoghurt

Method

Ingredients

1. To make the date butter, blend all the ingredients, then chill until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Soak the dates in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.

3. Place baby marrow on kitchen towel to drain. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of, baking powder, coffee and chocolate in a large bowl.

4. Blend the dates until smooth, adding more water if necessary.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, vanilla, yoghurt and date paste.

6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with the baby marrow and stir until fully incorporated.

7. Spoon the batter into 22 x 11 cm greased and lined loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through. Allow bread to cool and serve with the date butter.

Find more bread recipes here. 

Photograph: @Sadiqah Assur-Ismail