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Date, Apple & PoppySeed Loaf

40 mins Cook
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This Date, Apple & Poppy Seed Loaf is a beautifully moist, naturally sweet bake that’s as nourishing as it is comforting. Packed with fruit, fibre and seeds, it’s a wholesome treat for any time of day — lovely with a cup of tea, perfect for lunchboxes, or served as a lighter dessert.

Sweet Gem Gourmet chopped dates and crisp apple bring gentle, natural sweetness, while chia and poppy seeds add texture and goodness. Poppy seeds may be small, but they’re a great source of fibre and minerals such as calcium, and their light crunch and speckled look are a real hit with children.

An easy, forgiving recipe, it works just as well as a traditional loaf, a traybake, or even baked as mini loaves in the air fryer.

Simple to make, full of goodness and quietly satisfying, this is a family-friendly bake you’ll return to time and again.

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Date, Apple & Poppyseed Loaf

Date, Apple & Poppyseed Loaf

katrina
prep time
15 mins
cooking time
40 mins
servings
16
total time
55 mins

Equipment

  • Weighing scales

  • Mixing bowl

  • Spatula

  • Wooden spoon

  • 2lb (900g) + 1/2lb (300g) loaf tin

  • Parchment paper/loaf tin liners

Ingredients

  • 150g very soft butter

  • 125g Gem Gourmet chopped dates

  • 100g firm sweet apple, chopped

  • 50g chia seeds

  • 50g poppy seeds

  • 50g Gem light brown sugar (optional)

  • 250g Gem self-raising flour

  • 1 tsp ground ginger

  • Zest and juice of an orange

  • 3 eggs

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan for a loaf. If making a traybake, use 160°C fan. Smaller loaves can also be baked in the air fryer.
2
often the butter in the microwave in a large mixing bowl. It should be very soft but not warm.
3
Add the Gem Gourmet dates, grated apple, chia seeds and poppy seeds.
4
Mix together with a wooden spoon, then add the Gem sugar, Gem self-raising flour and ground ginger.
5
Mix again, then add the orange juice and eggs. Stir until fully combined.
6
Pour the mixture into a parchment-lined loaf tin. Alternatively, pour into a lined traybake tin or mini loaf tins if using.
7
Bake the loaf for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave it inside for a further 10 minutes.
If you make a traybake, bake for 30 minutes, checking at the end, it may not need the extra resting time.
Air fryer mini loaf: Bake on the bake setting for 15 minutes.
8
Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Notes

#1: This can also be made as a traybake. It will take a little less time to cook because it is a shallower bake. It will fit into an 18x25 cm tray or similar and cook at 180 C for half an hour.
#2: You can use citric acid to keep the apple from going brown. Add 1/2 tsp to a little boiling water to melt the citric acid, available in Eastern European shops along with the poppy seeds. Then add about 200 ml of cold water. Peel the apple and drop it into the water until needed.

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