Wednesday, September 12, 2012

sticky chocolate date loaf

Every year after Hari Raya (Eid) I will have at least 2 boxes of dates hanging around in the kitchen cupboard. This year I had a bumper fallout crop of four. They're candy for hubs, during Ramadan, and every evening during the entire month, he enjoys them at iftar, as a prelude to dinner.



I keep buying boxes of them for fear of running out and because extras are a good thing when we've all come to expect the date saturated British delight known as sticky toffee pudding, at the end of Ramadan, when hubs no longer needs their sweet, sticky sustenance to replenish depleted energy levels after each day's rigorous fast. Why wait till Ramadan's end?

Because sticky toffee pudding is hell on the hips, hardly better for the heart and too easy to eat too much of. Saving it for a specific time of the year also means it's no longer something 'sinful' but a family tradition, though a small one, to look forward to with anticipation. Waiting gives greed a modicum of dignity *ahem* Anyway, dates are only plentiful here, during Ramadan. If you want them at any other time, you'd have to hunt them down at Muslim/Malay enclaves Arab Street or Geylang Serai.



After two rounds of sticky toffee pudding in as many weeks, and what feels like endless snacking, I still had a box and a bit, so I decided to tweak my recipes for sticky chocolate gingerbread and sticky toffee pudding and came up with this lusciously dark and almost gooey (in such a good way!) treat.



Have it for afternoon tea or a late morning snack with a glass of milk, have it dusted with icing (confectioner's) sugar or dampened with liquid double cream for dessert, or have it for breakfast with barely sweetened black coffee or English breakfast tea. Any way you want it, just please, have it, because this is so good, it's almost stupefying, no, it's worth your foodie soul. Look at that darkly moist, dense yet airy crumb and tell me if you think that's just hyperbole....









23 comments:

  1. Looks lovely. I just baked something similar last night - a dates and figs pudding. I got some lovely Middle Eastern dates and figs from Mustafa - you can get them almost anytime of the year, and the range is mind-blowing. Your addition of dark chocolate sounds divine and I shall remember that for my next bake. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hi Luan :) Thanks for the heads up on Mustafa - not one of my usual haunts, but I keep hearing about what a treasure trove it is, so now it's on my radar. I'm always a sucker for a well stocked supermarket...

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  2. A perfect blend of all the cakes I love in one! I have been craving a sticky toffee pudding, but that craving has since been replaced by this.

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    1. Hi Liren!! How lovely to hear from you :) You're one of the very, very few Americans I know of who likes sticky toffee pudding! If it's possible, I like you even more now ;)

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  3. Wow...it does look to die for! Never mind the hips since it is only once a year. Good thing we can buy dates year round at the Middle Eastern markets. My favorite is Medjool dates. They tend to be a little more pricey but they are moist and sweet.

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    1. Thanks Biren - let me just say that I only had two slices of this and after that, hubby forbade anyone else to touch it (including me!!!). I made brownies for the boys then and they refused to let hubby have any :D Anyway both sides were happy with their own chocolate booty! Medjool dates - every time I buy them, I end up eating them into oblivion. They're so good for snacking, I don't think any of them have ever ended up in one of my cakes.

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  4. This looks so good, and I love dates. Is there a printable version of the recipe? Thanks!

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    1. Hi JB, I'm sorry to say there isn't at the moment. My schedule has gone off the brink but soon as things ease up a bit, I will definitely look into converting all my blog recipes to printables. Please keep checking back - I will start with this recipe!

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  5. Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post :)

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  6. Have to share this......you got me with 'sticky' and 'dates' ! I was born in Scotland where we know a thing or two about 'stick to the ribs' recipes....and oh, how we love them !! Thank you for this mouthwatering treat !

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  7. This looks similar to a date cake that I make a lot, but yours looks even more moist and sweet and delicious! Dates really make wonderful dessert additions, don't they? I'll take it any time of day, though ;)

    For some reason I can't get your recipe/picture to load on my computer, so I'll have to come back and get it later!

    Have a great weekend, Denise!

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  8. Oh dear lordy! I make this English breakfast tea and date loaf that I love! (I know very English) and I am looking at yours and going "she's gone and put chocolate in it and made it only better"!!!

    I bet Kate and William would love a bite of this while they're in Singapore :)

    chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

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  9. your date loaf looks amazing Denise, as usual breath taking photography of delicious creations!

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  10. I made this last night and it was fantastic - great recipe!

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    1. Hi Amanda :) So happy you liked it, and thank you for taking the time to tell me about it!

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  11. Wow, this looks great I may try this one over Christmas in stead of my usual fruit cake. Thanks for the recipe and sharing it with us.

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  12. I'm American, and a Muslim convert. I loooove sticky toffee pudding! And dates! :)

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  13. this is such a delicious bread. Iam sharing this on my FB for Ramadan date party.

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  14. I've made this a few times and it is SOOO yummy! All my favourite ingredients together!
    I just have a question about the measurements - is your "cup" the UK cup? Because mine seemed a little out of proportion and I converted from the weight measurements you provided and it's not the same in the US cups.

    Anyway just wanted to check - thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe :0)

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    1. Hi Tessa,

      Happy to know you enjoy this recipe :)

      The "cup" I use in this and all other recipes on this blog, is not a measuring cup at all but a standard English style tea cup which all pretty much have a universal standard liquid capacity of 200 ml, unlike "measuring cups" where the capacity can vary from 200 -250 ml depending on whether they are British, Australian or American.

      Please refer to the bottom of the right side bar on this page to see my notes on measurements.

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  15. Hi Denise, may I know what do you mean by the following line? Ie. how exactly do you fold in the mixture?

    "Gently fold in half the flour mixture then fold in all the date mixture. Fold in the remaining flour and the extra whole chocolate chips."

    Thanks!

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