This recipe is dedicated to all the Irish J1 students who stayed in 23 Security Street in Hyannis in 1989! Our next door neighbour Emmitt White welcomed us with this date nut loaf and made it numerous times for us over the summer. He shared the recipe with me when we left Hyannis in September. I have baked this often over the years and it never ceases to bring back memories of that idyllic summer cycling around Cape Cod with John, Mark, Caroline and Jayo. Enjoy!

250 grams stoned dates, chopped

150grams/ 1 cup chopped walnuts

200 grams/1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

42grams/ 3 tablespoons soft butter

Add 235 millilitres /1 cup boiling water

166 grams/ 1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

 

Heat your oven to 160C /325F and line a 2 pound loaf tin. This is a sticky cake and you won’t get it out of the tin if you don’t line it!

Mix the dates, walnuts, sugar, butter and egg in a mixing bowl. Add the boiling water and stir. Finally add the flour and baking soda and give everything a good stir! Then simply pour into your prepared tin and bake for 40-50min until an inserted skewer comes out cleanly.

Make this loaf gluten free by substituting the flour and baking powder with a GF variety. I like Dove’s Farm brand. Remember to include ¼ teaspoon of Xanthan gum to stop it crumbling