Feijoa and Date Loaf

1 cup peeled, diced feijoa
100g dates, roughly chopped
250 ml boiling water
200g sugar
50g butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
270g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Put feijoa, dates, boiling water, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool thoroughly then stir in the vanilla and the beaten egg. Sift together with dry ingredients and very carefully fold into the cooled fruit mixture working just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into a well buttered and floured loaf tin of 6 cups capacity and bake at 180oC for 50 to 60 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

(Adapted from a NZ Feijoa Growers association recipe. In book "The Feijoan Recipe Book" by Wyn Drable)