Description
This is my mother’s recipe, a bread she always made at Thanksgiving and Christmas to be used for tea sandwiches with a cream cheese filling. But it may also be eaten on its own like a cake. Because it is so delicious yet simple to put together, it makes a great food gift or potluck contribution. Substitute raisins for dates, if you wish.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chopped pitted dates
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Place the dates
- sugar
- salt
- and butter into a bowl
- and pour in the boiling water. Stir together and set aside to cool. Once cool
- mix in the egg.
- Stir the flour
- baking soda
- and cream of tartar together in a bowl. Pour the raisin mixture over the flour mixture
- and stir together until thoroughly combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and
- if desired
- walnuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake in preheated oven until knife inserted in center comes out clean
- about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 12