2 cups chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup boiling water
200g finely diced butter, at room temperature
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup dark cocoa, sifted
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
250g chocolate chips or dark chocolate cut into small chunks
Preheat oven to 160°C and line a 30cm x 24cm slice tin with baking paper.
Put dates in a large bowl, add baking soda and boiling water and stir to combine. Add finely diced butter and stir until melted. Leave to stand for 20 minutes.
Mash softened dates with a fork to break them up to a creamy consistency. Stir in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
Stir in the sugar, then add the cocoa, flour and baking powder and stir until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Smooth into prepared tin and bake until it is set in the middle and begins to come away from the sides of the tin (about 50 minutes). Cool before cutting into squares. Stored in a sealed container it will keep for a couple of weeks.
