With winter upon us, I find myself thinking of the holidays, missing my family and spending time in my kitchen keeping warm, baking and cooking. I leafed through a handwritten book of family recipes and the one for date nut bread caught my eye. Another one of my grandmother’s, the same woman who taught me how to make pasta and beans.
I hope you enjoy this sweet bread as much as I do.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot coffee or espresso
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup sugar
- 1.5 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
Heat the oven to 300° F. Chop the dates and walnuts. Set aside.
Combine the sugar, butter, eggs, flour, salt, vanilla and walnuts in a large bowl. Mix until the batter is smooth. In a small bowl add the chopped dates and baking soda to the hot coffee or espresso. In three parts, add the coffee mixture to the batter. Mix well. 
Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf-pan
Bake at 300° F for 1 to 1.5 hours.
Serve warm or at room temperature for breakfast or a snack.