Well, perhaps this is not what I was expecting to title this recipe as, but none the less, the end results were quite delicious. A little overcooked on the underside and an unexpected opening of the oven door part way through cooking produced a somewhat sunken affair, or perhaps that should be, date.
And I'm afraid that I'm mixing up my old and new money for the recipe, but for a basic sponge, somehow my brain always works in oz's. Trust you will rely on the early works of Delia or Nigel to convert these into a measurement more familiar to you.
Ingredients
4oz softened butter
3oz golden caster sugar
1oz dark muscovado sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten in a small bowl
4oz plain flour
OR
2oz plain flour with 2oz combination of ground almonds and polenta (or one of the other)
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
2oz sticky dates, pipped and chopped
Method
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 and line the base and sides of a square or loaf tin (2lb).
Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer, if you have one.
Once smooth and combined, slowly add the eggs, a little at a time, to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Sift the dry ingredients into the mixture and mix again until smooth.
Remove from the electric mixer, or have a break if you have been mixing by hand so far. Add the chop dates to the mixture and stir in thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Pour the mixture into your tin and place in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN LIKE I DID.
Do the good old skewer test if you're not sure.
Leave to cool completely before turning out and serving with natural yogurt and honey for extra goo.
Katie x