Almond and Date Bread

I just love this crispy bread. Delicious as a treat with coffee and excellent with soft ripened cheeses and quince paste. Commercial varieties are very thinly sliced probably on a slicing machine and something I have never been able to achieve cutting by hand. The recipe can be varied by changing the nuts or using a combination such as almond and hazelnuts. The dates can be omitted and the nuts increased to two hundred and fifty grams. I like to bake this is a large loaf tin, the bread is not as high but easier to slice. Use a mallet tin if you prefer a higher loaf.

Almond Bread

4 egg whites

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

200 g roasted natural almonds

8 dates or more

1 cup flour

Method

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form

Add sugar and beat until mixture is thick, white and glossy. (Like meringue)

Stir in flour, almonds and dates.

Spoon mixture int a greased and lined loaf tin.

Bake at 180 deg C until firm and skewer comes out clean.

Remove from tin and allow to cool.

Slice the loaf into thin slices and place on a tray.

Bake at 130 deg C until the slices are light golden brown.

Cool and store in an airtight container.