Date Brownies

First, bring 300 ml of water to a boil.

Pour the hot water over the 250 g pitted dates and let them soak until they are nicely softened.

Once softened, blend the dates together with their soaking water into a thick paste. It doesn't need to be perfectly smooth; a bit of texture is actually quite nice.

Allow the date mixture to cool down completely to ensure the eggs don't cook when you add them later.

To the cooled date paste, add the 3 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 40 g unsweetened cocoa powder, and 80 g melted butter.

Mix everything well with a hand mixer until all ingredients are fully combined and the batter looks uniform.

Gradually add the 70 g flour to the mixture.

Mix just until the flour is incorporated; be careful not to overmix.

If you're using optional ingredients like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit, gently fold them into the batter now.

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) using top and bottom heat with a fan.

The batter will be quite thick. Pour it into a greased baking tin or a silicone baking mold.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set but still slightly fudgy in the center. You can test by inserting a toothpick; it should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Let the brownies cool completely in the tin before slicing them into squares. This helps them firm up and prevents crumbling.