Today’s spotlight is aimed at Date Nut Bread.

This homemade Date Nut Bread is moist, slightly dense, packed with dates and pecans. Date nut bread is dark, rich, moist, and delicious.

Date nut bread, aka date walnut loaf, is a traditional Scottish tea bread that became popular in the US in the 1920s. Thin slices, slathered with cream cheese and cut in small triangles were the ultimate tea sandwich. It was so popular that several companies, including Thomas’, have made commercial loaves over the years. Pillsbury still makes a date nut bread mix, too. Retro date nut bread has fallen out of fashion, but it definitely deserves a comeback.

Date Nut Bread is super moist, and rich. It’s great for breakfast or dessert. It keeps well and is even better in the days after it’s baked, and it freezes well.

 

History

The first date nut bread recipe was published in 1939. It is believed that date nut bread originated in England and became popular there. It is a traditional bread in Britain, especially for afternoon tea. It is also popular in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth countries.

Date nut bread is a quick bread, which means it contains a leavening agent that allows it to be baked immediately. It is a common recipe to make during the winter months and for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Dates are one of the world’s oldest fruits. Archaeologists have excavated date seeds in subtropical regions around the world.

Date nut bread was sold in cans in the 1930s. It’s especially popular with a cream cheese topping.

 

 

Date nut bread is a quick bread made with chopped dates and nuts.

Here are some ingredients that are often used in date nut bread recipes:

• Dates: Chopped and pitted
• Baking soda: Sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, and monocalcium phosphate
• Walnuts: Chopped
• Eggs: Beaten
• Sugar: White sugar or brown sugar
• Butter: Softened
• Coffee: Hot, brewed coffee
• Vanilla extract: King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract

 

Here is a Date Nut Recipe For You To Try:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped pitted dates, this is about 8 ounces.
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (can be light or dark)
• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp cognac or brandy
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray or butter your 9×5 loaf pan and, if desired, line it with a sling of parchment paper so you can remove the loaf easily for slicing.
2. Put the dates, butter, baking soda, salt and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. Cover with hot coffee.
4. Stir and let it sit for 15 minutes.
5. Whisk in the egg, extract, brandy, and baking powder. Fold in the flour and mix well.
6. Fold in the walnuts.
7. Transfer to your loaf pan and spread out evenly.
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes. I cover it with foil after 30 minutes to prevent the top from getting too brown. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter on it. Moist crumbs are fine.
9. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely before slicing.
10. If you don’t plan on eating right away, don’t slice, just wrap the cooled bread in plastic and store it on the counter or in the fridge.
11. To freeze, let cool completely, then wrap in plastic, and then in foil. Use within 3 months.
12. Enjoy!

 

Here are some facts about date nut bread:

• Date nut bread is a quick bread made with chopped dates and nuts.
• It’s a traditional bread in Britain, often eaten with tea.
• It’s also popular in Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand
• In the US, it’s a popular holiday food.
• The recipe for date nut bread was published in 1939.
• Date nuts are a good source of dietary potassium.
• The sugar content of ripe dates is above 80%.
• The remaining 20% of ripe dates contain fiber, protein, and trace elements like zinc, selenium, manganese, magnesium, copper, cobalt, and boron.

 

National Date Nut Bread Day is celebrated on September 8. In the United States, date nut bread is a popular choice during the holidays. In other parts of the world, the same holiday is observed on December 22.