It's a Date!

Everyone likes date night, right? But this "date" works morning, noon or night. This nut bread recipe has been in my arsenal since Jill's 4-H cooking days. We tried lots of recipes, looking for one that combined great texture and taste. My old Betty Crocker cookbook came to the rescue as it often does for basic recipes. Yep, I have the spattered pages to prove it. 

Hope your family enjoys it, too.

Date Nut Bread

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cut-up dates
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 egg
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. grated fresh orange peel
1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of loaf pan (1 if using 9- by 5- by 3-inch pan or 2 if using 8.5- by 4.5- by 2.5-inch pans). Mix boiling water and dates; cool.

Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Combine sugars and oil. Add egg and orange peel. Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with soaked dates. Combine just until well moistened; don't overmix. Stir in chopped nuts. (I like walnuts, but pecans work well, too.)

Pour into prepared pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean: 9-inch loaf, approximately 55 to 65 minutes and 8.5-inch loaf, approximately 55 to 60 minutes. Cool slightly. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Freezes well.