Gluten Free Date and Walnut Loaf - "Delicious Magazine" Recipe

My friend Kris and I adapted this fantastic recipe from the November 2007 edition of Delicious Magazine in Australia. My all-time favourite recipe and food publication in the world. We added in a generous drop or two of rose water, which turns this already spectacular loaf into a sublime creation just begging to be devoured. Rose water is so wonderfully fragrant, that Kris wisely encourage me to add it into baked goods, puddings and other sweet treats as an ingenious way to reduce the sweetener required. I have to say, it is a top tip, and I have been grabbing for the rose water ever since and serving up s’blended rosy treats to happy snouts far and wide. The recipe calls for you to grease you baking tin with walnut oil. Whilst this does add an incredible flavor to the loaf, it is not absolutely essential if you don’t want to fork out the rather hefty price for walnut oil just for this recipe. I have also listed the rose water as optional. The original recipe did not have it, and this loaf tastes wonderful without it. But I really think it adds a touch of magic to this. Rice flour makes this bread really light, which is wonderful. But I have added an additional buckwheat flour mix that works well if you want a bread that has a bit more nutritional value. This version is a little bit more dense and browns on the top more quickly. You might have to cover with foil for the last fifteen minutes cooking time. A note about this date and walnut bread – you can reduce the sweetener and make it more savory. It does not have to be as decadent as I have made it here. I prefer it sweet served with a slather of butter. But this bread is incredibly versatile. You can serve it up as a wonderful accompaniment with cheese and fruit paste. Either way – this loaf is absolutely incredible.