My Grandmothers Date Nut Roll Recipes

GRANDMA'S DATE-NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Put raisins in a bowl. Pour boiling water over raisins; soak until raisins have flavored the water, about 20 minutes. Drain raisins, reserving the water. Discard raisins.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with butter.
• Bring reserved water to a boil in a small saucepan. Measure 3/4 cup boiling water into a bowl. Stir baking soda into water.
• Put dates and prunes in a large bowl. Pour baking soda-water over dates and prunes; add unsalted butter and stir until melted. Stir sugar and vanilla extract into the fruit mixture; let cool to room temperature.
• Stir egg into the fruit mixture to evenly coat. Mix flour and salt together in a small bowl; add to fruit mixture and stir. Fold walnuts into the mixture and pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 65 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

DATE NUT ROLL

Steps:

• Mix the sugar and vanilla in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
• Boil gently until mixture reaches 240 degrees.
• Take off the heat, and add rest of ingredients, stir well.
• The mixture will thicken as it cools.
• Pour onto dampened cloth or waxed paper forming a log.
• Allow to cool or refrigerate.
• If desired, coat with chopped nuts or powdered sugar and slice.

GREAT-GRANDMA CATHY'S DATE LOAF CANDY

Steps:

• Stir sugar, milk, and butter together in a saucepan; bring to a boil without stirring once the boiling begins. Heat until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball or until the mixture reaches 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), about 20 minutes. Immediately remove saucepan from heat and stir dates, pecans, and vanilla into the milk mixture.
• Thoroughly wet a piece of cheesecloth and lay out onto a flat work surface. Pour the candy mixture into the middle of the cloth and roll the cloth around it to shape into a log.
• Refrigerate until hard, 8 hours to overnight. Remove log from cloth and slice.

MY GRANDMOTHER'S DATE NUT ROLL

Steps:

• 1. Chop dates. (Do not buy or use dates that are already chopped.)
• 2. Combine sugar, milk, and dates in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches soft ball 234 degrees.
• 3. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and nuts. Stir until candy starts to thicken. Divide candy in half, by shaping it into logs on two damp tea towels. roll and shape into 10"X2" logs. Let cool. Slice to serve.