Delicious date loaf brings back memories

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/03/2016 (3548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Marcia Sealey was hoping to find a recipe for a favourite childhood memory, the date-nut loaf once sold at Dominion Stores. I couldn’t find that exact recipe, but this version — adapted from the King Arthur Flour website — is pretty darn good.

In a loafing kind of mood, I’ve also added a recipe for an orange-blueberry cornmeal quick bread.

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Date-Nut Loaf

227 g (about 250 ml or 2 cups) chopped pitted dates

150 ml (2/3 cup) golden brown sugar, packed

60 ml (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda

3 ml (3/4 tsp) salt

250 ml (1 cup) very hot strong brewed coffee

425 ml (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour

2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder

1 egg

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

15 ml (1 tbsp) vodka or brandy, optional

250 ml (1 cup) chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Butter a 22×10-cm (8.5×4.5-inch) loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, place dates, brown sugar, butter, baking soda and salt. Pour in hot coffee, stirring to combine and until butter is melted. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add to date mixture, along with egg, vanilla and liquor, and beat gently until smooth. Stir in walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan, gently tapping the pan on the counter to settle the batter.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, tenting the loaf gently with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then gently turn loaf out of pan onto rack to cool completely. (This keeps loaf from steaming in pan and getting stodgy.) Can be kept, wrapped tightly at room temperature, for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Tester’s notes: This loaf, adapted from a recipe from King Arthur Flour, turned out moist, rich and caramelly. It would be good lightly toasted and served with a little cream cheese. (Use your oven for toasting. The slices are too crumbly for the toaster.)

I would avoid those big blocks of chopped dates for this recipe, but you don’t need pricey premium dates either. Don’t worry about the coffee making the loaf taste like coffee. It just adds a deep, dark undertone, while the acid activates the baking soda, helping the loaf to rise. Likewise, the alcohol isn’t there for boozy flavour but to enhance the flavour molecules throughout the bread.

Blueberry-Orange Cornmeal Loaf

125 ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk

60 ml (1/4 cup) canola oil

60 ml (1/4 cup) orange juice

60 ml (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

60 ml (1/4 cup) golden brown sugar, lightly packed

2 eggs

15 ml (1 tbsp) orange zest

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

20 ml (4 tsp) baking powder

175 ml (3/4 cup) yellow cornmeal

310 ml (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

250 ml (1 cup) blueberries (frozen are fine; do not thaw)

Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Butter a 20×10-cm (8×4-inch) loaf pan. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, orange juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, zest and salt until blended. Scatter baking powder over top and let stand until foamy, about 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour and blueberries. Add to buttermilk mixture, stirring just until batter is almost free of lumps. Spoon into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then gently turn the bread out of the pan onto rack to cool completely. (This keeps it from steaming in the pan and getting stodgy.) Best served the day it is made.

Tester’s notes: A little sweet and cakey, with the fresh flavours of blueberry and orange, this is an easy variation on Midwestern-style cornbread.