Grandma's Date-Nut Bread

This vintage quick-bread recipe delivers a terrific loaf packed with prunes, dates, and nuts to your holiday table.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 306 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons butter, or as needed
• 7 pitted prunes, chopped
• 1 egg, well-beaten
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup raisins
• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1.5 cups boiling water

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Put raisins in a bowl. Pour boiling water over raisins; soak until raisins have flavored the water, about 20 minutes. Drain raisins, reserving the water. Discard raisins.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with butter.

Step 3

Bring reserved water to a boil in a small saucepan. Measure 3/4 cup boiling water into a bowl. Stir baking soda into water.

Step 4

Put dates and prunes in a large bowl. Pour baking soda-water over dates and prunes; add unsalted butter and stir until melted. Stir sugar and vanilla extract into the fruit mixture; let cool to room temperature.

Step 5

Stir egg into the fruit mixture to evenly coat. Mix flour and salt together in a small bowl; add to fruit mixture and stir. Fold walnuts into the mixture and pour into the prepared loaf pan.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 65 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.