Date and Walnut Tray Bake

Ingredients

250gr / 9 oz. dates, stoned and chopped roughly

40gr / 1.5 oz. unsalted butter

300 ml / water from a recently boiled kettle

6 x earl grey tea bags

2 x medium eggs

150gr / dark muscavado sugar

200gr / walnuts, roughly chopped

300gr / self raising flour

Preparation

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C / 350°

Grease and line a 20cm / 7.5 in. x 30cm / 11.5 in. baking tray with greaseproof paper.

In a bowl steep the tea bags in the hot water for about 5 minutes. Then, remove the teabags, squeezing them firmly to get as much flavour as possible out of them.

Add the dates and the butter to the tea, set aside to infuse while you are busy with the rest of the mix.

Whisk the eggs together with the sugar until it becomes a little fluffy. An electric whisk is easiest.

When the tea mixture has cooled and the butter melted through it, add it to the sugar and egg mix. Add the walnuts and the flour and stir through with a wooden or metal spoon until everything is evenly incorporated.

Pour the mix into your tray and place in the oven for about 45 minutes, check after 35. The tray bake is ready when it is evenly browned and you can pierce the middle with a cocktail stick and it comes out clean.

Tips and Variations

You don’t have to use tea as a flavour. You can substitute the tea for 2 x tsps of cinnamon.

Serve with a little crème fraiche, clotted, double or whipped cream. Mascarpone is nice too.