Banana bread with dried fruit sweetener

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raisins
• 2 large pitted dates
• 1 and 3/4 cups whole grain confectionery flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 110 g butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg + 1 large yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp orange zest
• 0.5 cups of milk
• 2 medium ripe bananas, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Place the raisins and dates in a medium bowl, cover with very hot water, and let steep until the fruit is very soft, about 25 minutes. Drain, then puree the dried fruit in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the date mixture and beat again until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk, vanilla, and zest and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add half the flour mixture, then the milk, then the remaining flour mixture, stopping the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl (there may be some lumps in the batter). Fold in the bananas.
5. Pour the dough into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake until the bread is golden brown and crisp and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Run a knife between the bread and the sides of the pan and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.