Not So Heavy Date Nut Bread Recipes

CLASSIC MOIST DATE NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
• In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the chopped dates. Add the butter and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and egg with a mixer until light.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the date and water mixture.
• Stir in the chopped nuts with a spoon.
• Pour into the loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

DATE NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3 inch loaf pan.
• Put the dates, walnuts, baking soda, salt and shortening in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over and stir. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl. Add the flours and stir; the batter will be too stiff to mix well. Add the date mixture and mix briskly until the batter is well blended. Spoon into the loaf pan and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Check the loaf often; it is done when a few moist crumbs cling to a straw inserted in the middle of the loaf. The bread will continue to bake after it is removed from the oven. Do not overbake, or the loaf will be dry.
• When the loaf is done, slide a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the loaf onto a rack to cool completely. This bread freezes well.

AUTUMN "DATES" NIGHT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the dates and set aside until cool. Drain.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt onto a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and sour cream and beat to combine, scraping the bowl down. Add the rum and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture on low speed until just combined. Add the milk, increase the speed to medium, and beat until just smooth, about 15 seconds. Add the drained dates and the nuts and stir just until distributed.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then unmold and cool completely before slicing.

DATE BREAD FROM MULEGE

Steps:

• Butter and flour a 9 or 10inch round cake pan and line the base of it with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale yellow and will hold a ribbon. Drizzle the melted butter around the edges of the bowl and fold the mixture together gently but thoroughly. Set aside. Sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt together and set aside. In another, larger mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to the soft peak stage.
• Fold half of the egg yolk mixture into the beaten egg whites. Fold in the dry ingredients and stir in the dates, pecans, and raisins. Fold in the remaining yolk mixture. Pour the batter into the pan and shake it a little to find its level. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack and then run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen the cake and turn it out onto a platter. Sprinkle confectioners sugar over the top and serve cut into wedges, accompanied by coconut ice cream, if desired.