Freda Mary Lord's Date And Walnut Loaf
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes, plus 1 day's standing
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 1½cups coarsely chopped dates
- ¾cup water
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- 2½cups whole-wheat flour
- 1tablespoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon salt
- 5tablespoons sweet butter, in pieces
- 1cup sugar
- 1cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1large egg, beaten
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
- Step 2
Over medium heat slowly bring the dates and water just to a boil. Remove from heat, beat in the baking soda (it will bubble up) and allow to cool.
- Step 3
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in the sugar and the nuts. Add the date mixture and the egg, and mix thoroughly to form a stiff batter.
- Step 4
Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the lower part of the oven 1½ hours until the loaf is firm to the touch and shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan. Keep at least one day before using. Well-wrapped, the bread will keep at least one week. It can be frozen.
- This recipe can be baked in two 7½-by-3¾-by-2¼-inch pans for about 1 hour.
Private Notes
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Comments
I recommend trying this! The texture is unique and very nice. I have made this twice, reducing the sugar the second time to 3/4 cup. I think my whole wheat flour is WW pastry flour.
This bread is rich,chewy and keeps really well. Excellent recipe to try. It also toasts easily and doesn’t fall apart.
2025: I wonder that there are so few comments. Is this too old fashioned and health inspired with all WW flour? I love it: but I want to find out why it does not RISE. Have made it twice following exactly and both times it came out very flat on top. It is naturally going to be lumpy given ingredients, but I'd think with 1TBSP of baking powder + 1 teas soda in the dates - that it might not end up so flat. Delicious BTW
This bread is rich,chewy and keeps really well. Excellent recipe to try. It also toasts easily and doesn’t fall apart.
I recommend trying this! The texture is unique and very nice. I have made this twice, reducing the sugar the second time to 3/4 cup. I think my whole wheat flour is WW pastry flour.