I was feeling very nostalgic today and so I made a Date & Nut loaf. I just love Date & Nut loaf, and so does my husband. It goes so well with a nice hot cup of tea.
What can be more comforting than a lovely fresh quick bread enjoyed with a hot steaming cuppa? Not a lot!
My mother always made a beautiful Date and Nut Loaf.
We loved it when she would bake it, and when she made her War Cake for us at Christmas. It was full of fat sticky raisins! I love raisins.
Mom didn't bake very often. Christmas was probably the one time of year she would bake the most and we loved all of it! I am a much more prolific baker.
I couldn't find mom's recipe today though . . . so I used my ex mother in law's.
It's a really good recipe too. Moist and scrummy . . . and filled with lots of toasted walnuts and sticky dates.
Oh so perfect with a hot cuppa herbal tea. Spread with butter . . . of course. In for a penny, in for a pound!
Perfect for elevensies, or afternoon tea . . . or for just munching on when you feel a bit peckish. Also great to pack in lunches.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ELIZABETH'S DATE AND NUT LOAF
1 cup dates, chopped (170g)
3/4 cup boiling water (6 fluid ounces)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 TBS butter
3/4 cup sugar (145g)
1 large free range egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour (245g)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (60g)
several whole walnuts to decorate
3/4 cup boiling water (6 fluid ounces)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 TBS butter
3/4 cup sugar (145g)
1 large free range egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour (245g)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (60g)
several whole walnuts to decorate
It's very low fat . . . there are only 2 TBS of fat in the entire loaf. That's not bad eh!
I think I'll have another piece!
You don't mind slathering on the butter when a loaf is as low in fat as this one is. Filled with plenty of toasty nutty crunch and sweet sticky dates.
RECIPE HERE
Yield: 1 loaf
ELIZABETH'S DATE AND NUT LOAF
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 1 H & 20 M
A moist and delicious loaf to serve with tea. Its lush sliced thin and spread with soft butter.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates, chopped (170g)
- 3/4 cup boiling water (6 fluid ounces)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 TBS butter
- 3/4 cup sugar (145g)
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup flour (245g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (60g)
- several whole walnuts to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter and flour an 8 by 4 inch loaf tin. Set aside.
- Put the dates into a bowl. Pour the boiling water over top and add the soda. Mix, cover and let stand until the mixture cools.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt, then add the cooled date mixture. Stir in the chopped walnuts Don't over mix.
- Spread in the prepared loaf tin. Smooth over the top. Place a few whole walnut halves on top in a decorative manner.
- Bake for 1 hour or until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to sit in the pan for 5 minutes, before tipping out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Store covered in an airtight container. This tastes even better the next day. We like it sliced and spread with softened butter.
Some other tasty loaves that you might also enjoy with a hot cup of tea are:
CINNAMON SWIRL TEA BREAD - Lovely and moist with delectable ribbons of cinnamon swirled throughout. This buttery tea bread is one of our family favorite loaves!
EARL GREY FRUITED TEA LOAF - This is a lovely dense loaf, filled with loads of dried fruit. It is simple to make and goes beautifully sliced thin and spread with butter. People just love this!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!
Funny..I made a little loaf too yesterday from Dorie..
ReplyDeleteWill let you know..
Yours looks delish like all your desserts!
I haven't done a Dorie recipe in a long time Monique! I need to do one soon. Her recipes are just gorgeous as you know! Xxoo
ReplyDeleteReminds me of my childhood too :-) x
ReplyDeleteThat looks so comfy!! I am allergic to nuts, do you have an alternative that would work well in this bread?
ReplyDelete-Soma
Thank you Charlene. I think most people's mothers made something like this.
ReplyDeleteSoma, thank you. Just leave the nuts out! You could add extra dates to make up for them!
Marie, when you say sugar is it granulated or caster sugar.
ReplyDeleteYou can use either one Carol. For years I used granulated because that is all I had. Now I tend to use Caster because I always have it in my cupboard to use in baking.
ReplyDeleteSounds tasty. What the best egg substitute for this particular recipe please?
ReplyDeleteI have never used an egg substitute so I cannot say for sure, but I did find this article from a reputable source that you might find helpful. https://food52.com/blog/24554-best-egg-substitutes
DeleteMarie xo
This looks a) WONDERFUL and b) EASY.
ReplyDeleteWhat would you think of soaking the dates in hot tea instead of plain old hot water?
(I would normally think of soaking in coffee, but not this time.)
I think soaking the dates in tea would add another depth of flavor to the loaf. I say go for it Steve! Let me know how it works! (Personally I think coffee would be great also!)
Delete