Date-Nut Bread

Looks like fudge when you cut into it!

¾ cup (6 ounces) boiling water

1 ½ cups (8 ounces) chopped dates

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup (2 ¼ ounces) brown sugar

¼ cup (2 ¾ ounces) molasses or corn syrup

2 large eggs

1 cup (4 ¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (4 ounces) chopped walnuts

 the batter....

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a medium bowl, pour water over the dates and butter. Stir and let the mixture sit until lukewarm. Purée one-third of the mixture in a food processor or blender to make a paste, then stir it back into the date mixture. (This step can be left out, but it really adds to the texture of the finished product.) Add the brown sugar, molasses, eggs and nuts. 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-inch loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 65 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. You’ll also see the loaf start to pull away, just slightly, from the sides of the pan. Don’t overbake or you’ll lose the gooey factor. Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pans to finish cooling.

 Here they are out of the oven.

Recipe: King Arthur Cookbook

**The only thing I changed: I didn't add salt and did use the molasses.  I did make it all in one bowl, and I baked in two smaller bread pans. I have found out when I use smaller bread pans for nut or tea breads, they are not as dry in the middle of the bread or burn on top. I really liked this date bread, very moist and taste like what I remember from Bullock's, yummy!!!!**