Date Nut Loaf Recipe. And Yes, I Used Real Butter and Sugar This Time.

Yields 2 loaves.

Date Nut Loaf

Shopping and Preparation:

List #1

2 cups of pitted dates

1 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract* added while cooling

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

List#2

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces

• Bring dates and water to a boil for 5 minutes.
• Pull from heat, add vanilla, butter, and sugar. Stir until melted.
• Add baking soda, allow the mixture to cool approximately 45 mins to 1 hour before proceeding.

• Set your oven to 350 F.
• Grease 2 loaf pans.
• I used a handheld blender to chop the date mixture up a bit (my dates were whole, pitted).
• Blend eggs, flour, salt, and baking powder into the softened date mixture.
• Fold in walnuts last.

• Bake 50 minutes. (I turned my oven down to 325 F for last 20 minutes. My oven runs hot and the tops were quite brown but centers were still doughy).
• Cool in pans for 10 minutes then put them on a baking rack to cool thoroughly.

Helpful Hint:

Toss nuts in a little dusting of flour before adding to batter.  This will help keep them from all sinking to the bottom of your cake or loaf.  This trick works for chocolate chips too.

Store dates and nuts in a tight container in freezer to prolong their shelf-life. I have kept them up to 3 months past their expiry date while stored this way.