Milk Chocolate, Date And Walnut Loaf - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dates, pitted, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200 g milk chocolate, chopped
125 g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Preparation

Place dates and water in a saucepan over low heat; cook for 5-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Remove from heat;add the soda, stir and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 180\u00b0C.
Grease and line a loaf pan 10cm x21cm, 7 cm deep.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stir with a metal spoon for 5 minutes, or until chocolate is melted; remove from heat and cool.
Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar and maple syrup until pale and creamy; add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each egg is added.
Stir in melted chocolate.
Sift flour over this chocolate mixture, then using a metal spoon, fold in until combined.
Fold in the dates and walnuts, then spoon into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out to a wire rack to cool.
Serve sliced (and buttered if you wish).