كتاب الأشربة
36  
The Book of Drinks
(22)
Chapter: It is recommended to take the stones out of dates, and it is recommended for the guest to pray for the host and to ask a righteous guest to supplicate, and he should respond to that request
(22)
باب اسْتِحْبَابِ وَضْعِ النَّوَى خَارِجَ التَّمْرِ وَاسْتِحْبَابِ دُعَاءِ الضَّيْفِ لأَهْلِ الطَّعَامِ وَطَلَبِ الدُّعَاءِ مِنَ الضَّيْفِ الصَّالِحِ وَإِجَابَتِهِ لِذَلِكَ
Sahih Muslim 2042 b

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters and they did not doubt about keeping the dates between his fingers (as is expressed in the previous hadith).

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يَشُكَّا فِي إِلْقَاءِ النَّوَى بَيْنَ الإِصْبَعَيْنِ ‏.‏
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2042b
In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 203
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 23, Hadith 5071
  (deprecated numbering scheme)