Servings:

8-10 slices

Level of difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

180g dates, chopped
40 ml Bacardi or dark rum
40 ml brandy
175 g plain flour
2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tspn salt
125g butter, melted
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 large very ripe bananas,about 300g without skin, mashed
60g hazelnuts, chopped finely
1 tspn vanilla extract
23x13x7cm loaf (2 lb) tin, buttered and floured (or it won't come out!), or paper lined.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg.C, 325F, gas mark 3.
2.Put stoned and chopped dates into small saucepan, add the alcohol,bring to the boil, turn off heat and leave until liquid has been absorbed.
3.Put flour,baking powder, bicarb,and salt into a medium bowl, mix well.
4. Put melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until blended.
5.Beat in eggs one at a time.
6.Add mashed banana.
7.Stir in dates,hazelnuts,vanilla extract. Add flour mix, 1/3 at a time,stirring well after each addition.
8. Pour/scrape into tin. Bake in the middle of the oven for 60 min until fine skewer comes out clean.
9. Leave in tin on wire rack, to cool
10. Eat.....mmmmm!!