Seeking a recipe for a dark, dense, moist date nut bread

6 years ago

Does anyone have a good recipe for this? The date nut breads from my childhood (no family recipe that I can locate) were dark, dense, rich, redolent with walnuts and small pieces of dates (versus chunks of dates) ...I don't recall any flavor of molasses as a component, but it's been decades, and the bread may have had molasses!

Thanks!

Smiles,

Sooz

Featured Answer

fawnridge (Ricky)

6 years ago

Date & Nut Bread

Ingredients

4 cups of pitted dates - I use 1"-2" Majools. Two 12-oz containers are plenty.
2 cups of chopped walnuts
2 cups of boiling water
3 cups of All Purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 stick of unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups of dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Process

Cut the dates into chunks about the size of a dime. I quarter them.
Chop the walnuts - don't powder them, but get them chopped up good. Dump
them both in a big mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over them.
Stir and then cover the bowl with foil or a big plate. Let it sit for 10
minutes and then let it sit until cool - at least another 30 minutes.
Sift the flour and baking soda and set it aside.
Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Then mix in the eggs and
the vanilla (use the good stuff!) When the butter is completely mixed
add this to the date and nut mixture and mix it well with a wood spoon.
Add in the flour mixture and beat with the wood spoon until well combined.
Split the batter between 2 greased 9x5 meatloaf pans and bake
at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out
clean.

Comments (14)

ann_t
6 years ago
I love date and nut loaf. I went looking for a recipe that would be like my grandmothers a few years back. This one was it.

This recipe doesn't have molasses. Just brown sugar.

This is the original recipe as I found it. I have also made some adjustments that you can find on my blog here:

Date and Nut Slice

Have also made it using Macadamia nuts.

Date and Walnut Loaf

====================

Adapted from Kate in the Kitchen

2-1/2 cups chopped dates

1/4 cup butter

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup coarsely chopped toasted

walnuts

.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees F). Grease and

flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan. (or three small loaf pans.

Combine the dates, baking soda and butter in a large bowl. Pour

boiling water over them, stir and let stand until cool.

When the dates have cooled, stir in brown sugar, egg, sour cream

and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Mix together the flour,

baking powder, and salt; stir into the date mixture until just

blended. Do not over mix. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a wooden pick

inserted into the center comes out clean.

If using mini loaf pans reduce baking time.
sooz thanked ann_t
Related Discussions
Need Recipes- Banana bread etc.
Q
Comments (25)
Lou, my daughter's best friends mom, made this, and we have adopted the recipe: Banana Bread 2 c sugar 1/2 c oil (I use grape seed oil, as that is the only one in my house) 2 eggs 3 c flour 1 pinch salt 1/2 c buttermilk 1 to 1 1/2 t baking soda 3 to 4 ripe bananas mashed 1/2 c nuts (optional) Cream sugar and oil, add eggs, flour, salt, buttermilk (mix the buttermilk and baking soda together) mix and finally bananas and nuts. Pour in to greased bread pans (we use small ones, makes three). Bake at 350 degree for about 1 hour, top should be split. and then there is the Zucchini Chocolate Cake I used to have the Zucchini listed as secret ingredient, cause that was the only way I could get my girls to eat it. :) t=teaspoon T=Tablespoon c=cup (German measure) 2 1/2 c unsifted flour (370gramm) 1/2 c cocoa (60 gramm) 2 1/2 t soda (1 Paeckchen Backpulver) 1 t salt (1 Prise) 1 t cinnamon 3/4 c margarine or butter (ca. 160 gramm) 2 c sugar (400 gramm) 3 eggs 2 t vanilla 2 t grated orange peel (optional) 2 c shredded zucchini (1/2 Liter) 1/3 c milk (ca. 1/15 liter oder 70 gramm) 1 c nuts (optional) 350 degree oven (ca. Mittlehitze?) mix first 3 ingredients, set aside Beat margarine and add the next 5 ingredients and add the flour mixture and milk. Mix well. Pour in to greased and floured bundt cake form (springform). Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool in pan for about 15 minutes and then take it out of the pan to let cool the rest. Drizzle with icing if desired. Icing 2 c powdered sugar 3 T milk Really yummy with a dollop of whipping cream on top. :)
...See More
RECIPE: Looking for: Date Nut Bread Recipe
Q
Comments (1)
This was my mom's recipe. In those days flour was sifted before measuring and as I recall scant meant about 1 Tb. less than level with the top of the measuring cup. She was a stickler for preciseness so the 300 F. baking temp. is correct. Date Bread 1 c. boiling water 1 tsp. soda 1 c. dates butter, size of a walnut 1 c. sugar 1 egg scant 1 1/2 c. flour 1 c. chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 300 degrees; Grease 5x9 loaf pan. Combine water, soda & dates in flat bottom bowl; set aside. Mix other ingredients in order. Mash dates in water; add to dough. Bake for 1 hour.
...See More
Recipe of the day October 9- Let them eat bread!
Q
Comments (13)
Bread... wonderful bread! OK, I admit it, I'm a carbman. Atkins be d@mned. This is one I used to make occasionally, but haven't for a while. You got me thinking about it again. It's so simple and simply delicious. One thing, as I recall it's pretty white, doesn't brown a crust like a normal loaf. But good with any meat/potatoes dish. BEER BATTER BREAD 3 cups flour 1-tablespoon baking powder 3 tablespoons sugar 1-teaspoon salt 1 (12 oz) beer @ room temp. 1/4 C melted unsalted butter, Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the beer all at once, mixing as little as possible; the batter should be lumpy. Pour the batter into a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan and brush with the melted butter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Makes 1 loaf. Recipe adapted from New Tastes from Texas And this one hasn't been tested, but considering my motto is anything's better with bacon!, can it be bad? Bacon Beer Bread 3/4 cup flat beer 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup chopped green onions 2 tablespoons prepared mustard 1 tablespoon softened butter 3 1/4 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon Add ingredients to machine according to manufacturers directions. Select Basic White cycle. Add bacon at the beep. Makes one (1 1/2 pound) loaf. This is another favorite. Don't know if it's the same as linked before but I'll put it in anyway. Pepperoni Bread 1 C + 2 T water 2 T sugar 3 C bread flour 1-1/2 t garlic salt 2/3 C pepperoni slices chopped 1-1/2 T Italian seasoning 1/3 C mozzarella cheese 1-3/4 t yeast Add to breadmaker in order listed. When placing the pepperoni in, mix into the flour to coat the pepperoni. Use a basic white cycle and a dark crust for best results. Do not use timed cycle for this bread. When done, remove and cool on a rack. Heat some pizza sauce or tomato sauce mixed with garlic salt and Italian seasoning and use for dunking to serve as an appetizer. Its delicious toasted. Best if served warm (microwave is fine). Its like a loaf of pizza! I am a rhubarb fan and this year has been a terrible year for rhubarb around here. I haven't been able to make this and it makes me so sad, I enjoy this bread so. I modified the original recipe(s) a bit and added cinnamon. I like cinnamon. And I prefer brown sugar to white sugar for this. Rhubarb Bread Bread: 1 1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar 1/2 C Nuts (optional - I prefer without the nuts) 2/3 C Oil 1 Egg 1 C Sour Milk or Buttermilk 1 t Baking Soda Pinch of Salt (up to 1 t) 1 t Vanilla 2 1/2 C flour (up to 2 T more) 1 1/2 C Rhubarb Topping: 1/2 C Sugar (I use Brown Sugar) 1 T Butter Cinnamon (as much as you like - I like a lot) Coat the chopped rhubarb with a little sugar to help keep it suspended in the batter. Mix in order given and pour into two well-greased and floured tins. Sprinkle the topping over the top of raw dough. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes.
...See More
Looking for a different kind of persimmon bread recipe
Q
Comments (8)
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately they're not what I'm hoping may exist somewhere (perhaps it doesn't). Compumom, the Beard recipe I modified was the one for apricot bread in Beard on Bread, substituting persimmons for the apricots and their soaking water, as I described in my original post. I've made the Beard persimmon bread recipe you reference as well, reducing the sugar and using half oil half butter in place of the butter: the results were excellent, but too sweet and too fat for my current taste. Irisgal, your recipe is sweeter than what I want. Perhaps fruit breads require that much sugar, or almost: I know sugar can be cut to 3/4 cup, because I often do that myself, but don't know if can be reduced to 1/4 cup as I attempted, and which didn't work. I like a fruit bread for breakfast or as a snack, but since I had flu almost a year ago, my already moderate taste for sweetness has diminished almost to zero. For the last few years even plain apples have been borderline too sweet. Hence my interest in a bread with little added sugar.
...See More
ritaweeda
6 years ago
Although the second one is probably good too, I can vouch for Ricky's recipe, I've made it ever since I first saw his posting of it.
sooz thanked ritaweeda
bcskye
6 years ago
Angela Lansbury's Date Nut Bread is the recipe I always use. Don't have the recipe at hand, but you can Google it. It's dark and delicious. It's always a good seller at the church's bake sales and sells well from my booth at the Farmers Market.

Madonna
sooz thanked bcskye
sooz
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you all for your responses, recommendations, recipes and lovely photos!

Smiles,

Sooz
Heather Kezdy
4 years ago
Curious to know which you finally used as I am searching for the same thing.
Compumom11
4 years ago
Here's the link to the Angela Landsbury's bread. All of these recipes look great!
Sooz
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I ended up making a recipe posted by KA 1948-- the first recipe she posted on page 6 (I added 1/4 C of molasses to the recipe) at this Chowhound link: Date Nut Bread - lots of recipes!

Here's a photo after it cooled. It was delicious but it did take a long time to bake. There are lots of recipes to check out over at the link I provided above. Enjoy!
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
4 years ago
Sooz, did you add an additional 1/4 c molasses to the 1/4 c listed in the recipe for a total of 1/2 c molasses, please.
Sooz
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
WalnutCreek, the first recipe posted by KA 1948 (I *think* it was p. 6 on that thread) did not have molasses. The ingredients are listed as below, so the 1/4 C of molasses was what I added to it. Hope this clarifies things!

4 oz. moist, fresh, pitted dates chopped up as fine as possible.
1 cup water
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnut peices
1 & 1/3 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
4 years ago
Oh, thank you. I found 2 recipes she posted and they both contained molasses, so she must have posted 3. Thanks so much, Sooz.
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
4 years ago
Went back and tried to find the recipe above, and evidently, it has been deleted. This is the earliest recipe from KA I could find:

KA 1948 Oct 12, 200907:19 PM re: ruth arcone

I, too, was remembering enjoying VandeKamps Date Nut Bread and found a recipe that I tried;
I was thrilled with how it tasted like the one I remember. Especially when I spread it with cream cheese! Yum!

3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cup chopped dates (fresh)
1 T. butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, pour water over the dates and butter. Stir and let the mixture sit until lukewarm
Puree 1/3 of the mixture in a food processor or blender to make a paste,
then stir it back into the date mixture.
Add the brown sugar, molasses and eggs. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.

In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
Make a well in the center and pour in the date mixture. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Pour the batter into a greased 9x5" loaf pan.

Bake for 50 minutes; loaf is done when the top has risen and a cake tester inserted in the center will have some dates clinging to it but no batter.
Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan to finish cooling.

Found this on cdkitchen
Recipe ID: 40454

MSG URL: http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/1429447

I know sometimes on Chowhound recipes do get deleted.
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
4 years ago
Well, I was wrong. Kept looking and finally found the one you posted directly above, Sooz. Regardless, I am so glad you posted that link.
Sooz
4 years ago
Glad to help, and I think you've earned your Detective Badge, WalnutCreek! Please post your evaluation after trying a new-to-you date nut bread recipe, and photos are always welcome!

Seeking a recipe for a dark, dense, moist date nut bread

fawnridge (Ricky)

Comments (14)

ann_t

Related Discussions

ritaweeda

bcskye

sooz
Original Author

Heather Kezdy

Compumom11

Sooz

WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a

Sooz

WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a

WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a

WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a

Sooz

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Seeking a recipe for a dark, dense, moist date nut bread

Comments (14)

Related Discussions

soozOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

sooz
Original Author