Martha Stewart Date Nut Bread Recipes

DATE NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3 inch loaf pan.
• Put the dates, walnuts, baking soda, salt and shortening in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over and stir. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl. Add the flours and stir; the batter will be too stiff to mix well. Add the date mixture and mix briskly until the batter is well blended. Spoon into the loaf pan and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Check the loaf often; it is done when a few moist crumbs cling to a straw inserted in the middle of the loaf. The bread will continue to bake after it is removed from the oven. Do not overbake, or the loaf will be dry.
• When the loaf is done, slide a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the loaf onto a rack to cool completely. This bread freezes well.

DATE NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Combine baking soda with the boiling water. Soak the dates in the water and baking soda solution for 30 minutes.
• Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs, vanilla, dates, nuts, flour, and salt.
• Divide batter equally between two 9 x 5 (or 8 1/2 x 4 1/2) inch greased loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) (or until loaf tests done). Can be frozen when cool.

VINTAGE RECIPE: GRANDMOTHER'S DATE BREAD

Steps:

• Pour 1 cup water into a small pot and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, stir in dates, soda, and butter.
• Reduce heat, and simmer until dates are very soft, about 20 minutes.
• Use a fork to mash date mixture into a paste. It does not need to be perfectly smooth. Set aside to cool.
• Combine flour, baking powder and raisins in a separate bowl.
• When dates have cooled, stir in beaten egg and ½ cup hot water.
• Add flour to date mixture and stir until combined.
• Pour into well-greased 6.5" x 4" x 2" loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
• A standard-sized loaf pan can also be used, but will create a flat loaf. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

WHOLE-WHEAT DATE NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with oil. In a medium bowl, pour hot water over dates and let stand until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in oil, egg, and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, salt, pecans, and brown sugar. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 20 minutes, then turn out bread and let cool completely. Wrap in parchment if giving as a gift, or slice and spread with Neufchatel and serve. (Loaf can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature up to 3 days.)

JAPANESE MILK BREAD (SHOKUPAN)

Steps:

• Starter:Whisk together milk, 1/2 cup water, and flour in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until thickened slightly but still pourable (it should have the consistency of loose pudding), 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; let cool until warm to the touch but no longer hot, about 10 minutes.
• Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, milk powder, sugar, salt, and yeast. Make a well in center of mixture. Add milk, melted butter, and starter to well; stir until a dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl brushed with butter; brush top of dough with more butter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush two standard 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with butter. Punch down dough. Transfer to a clean work surface and divide in half. Roll each half into an approximately 9-inch log; transfer to prepared pans. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise until more than doubled in volume (doughs should rise about 1 1/2 inches above tops of pans), 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Whisk egg white with 1 teaspoon water and gently brush onto tops of dough. Bake until puffed, golden brown, and a thermometer inserted in centers registers 200 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack 15 minutes. Flip loaves out onto rack; let cool completely before slicing and serving, or store, unsliced and wrapped in parchment-lined foil at room temperature up to 3 days, or sliced and frozen up to 3 months.

MOIST DATE NUT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix together the hot water and chopped dates, then let sit for 15 minutes to cool and for the dates to soften.
• Whisk in the oil, egg, bananas, and vanilla extract into the date water mixture.
• In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, walnuts, and brown sugar.
• Fold the date mixture into the flour mixture, until the dry mixture is no longer visible.
• Pour the batter into a lightly greased and floured 8 x 4 inch loaf pan, then bake for about 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely before slicing.
• This loaf holds up well wrapped in aluminum foil for 3 or 4 days.

DATE NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch or an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan and line with a strip of parchment paper. Dust with flour and set aside.
• Combine the boiling water and the chopped dates and set aside for 15 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well-blended. Add the vanilla and beat well, then add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together for 15 seconds. Add the flour and the buttermilk to the egg mixture alternately, stirring after each addition, until fully blended.
• Stir the dates and water into the batter, then stir in the nuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the center rack for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then loosen sides and let cool completely.

DATE-NUT BALLS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir dates and white sugar in the melted butter until thick and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in crispy rice cereal and pecans. Let mixture cool until easily handled, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Form mixture into small balls using your hands.
• Pour confectioners' sugar into a resealable bag; add date-nut balls and lightly shake bag until balls are coated.