A Simple Date Loaf

 

This is a very simple date quick bread that is ideal to have with tea or coffee, or as breakfast with a topping of your choice. I like it with caramel baked apples. It is not very sweet. 

1/2 cup boiling water

¼ cup half and half

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1⁄2  cups chopped dates

1 1⁄3  cups all-purpose flour

1   teaspoon baking powder

1  teaspoon salt (if no sodium restriction)

1  large egg

1⁄4  cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I like to use coconut sugar, Jaggery or Piloncillo)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon orange flavoring

1⁄4  cup unsalted butter

5 whole allspice berries

5 pieces of cloves

5 green cardamom pods

 

DIRECTIONS

 

    Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour sides.

    In a small bowl mix the dates, butter, baking soda, vanilla and orange flavoring. Bring the water, cardamom pods, cloves, allspice, and brown sugar to a boil, let the spices steep in the water for 5-10 minutes then remove them. Pour the hot water over the mixture of dates, butter etc. You will see it bubble up. Add the lemon juice and set aside to cool.

    In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

    In a different bowl, beat the egg and half and half with an electric mixer until pale in color.

    Separate the date mixture into two halves. Take half of the date mixture and blend to a paste using a blender or food processor. Mix the paste with the original half of unblended dates.

    Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, stirring until just combined.

    Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

    Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan, then cool completely on a rack.

Slice into 12 pieces when cool and serve with caramel baked apple topping.