Date & apple tea loaf #DonnaHay

What do you make for brunch on a chilly Sunday?
A just out of the oven warm date loaf that’s what.
Made a version of this lovely date and apple loaf by Donna Hay ,
but I adulterated it with a little coconut as well.

You need for one loaf:

2½ cups (450g) chopped fresh (medjool) dates
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¾ cup hot brewed English breakfast tea
150g unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 medium Granny Smith (green) apples, peeled and grated
1¼ cups (185) self-raising flour, sifted
½ cup (90g) brown sugar
unsalted butter, extra, to serve
icing sugar, for dusting

• Preheat oven to 160°C.
• Place 1½ cups of the dates (leave one cup of dates aside ) and bicarbonate of soda and tea in a bowl and set aside for 5–10 minutes or until dates are softened.
• Using a hand-held stick blender, blend the date mixture until nearly smooth.
• Place the date mixture, remaining dates, butter, eggs, vanilla, apple, flour and sugar in a large bowl and stir until combined.
• Spoon the mixture into a greased 10cm x 21cm (10-cup-capacity) loaf tin lined with non-stick baking paper.
• Bake for 55–60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
• Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Serve with lashings of butter..YUM