WALNUT DATE BREAD

WALNUT DATE BREAD image

Categories Nut

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 cup boiling water
10 oz. pitted dried dates, coarsely chopped (2 1/4 cups)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 chopped walnuts (4 1/2 oz)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Steps:

Pour boiling water over dates and butter in a bowl and let stand until cool, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F with rack in middle. Lightly butter a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan. While date mixture cools, toast walnuts in oven until a shade darker, about 10 minutes. Leave oven on. Coarsely chop nuts. Stir egg and vanilla into date mixture until combined. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in date mixture and nuts until just combined. Spread evenly in loaf pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool bread in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely. Bread keeps, wrapped well, at room temperature 1 week.