Date Nut Brown Bread

Relish Magazine had a great recipe for Date Nut Brown Bread. I finally got around to making it, and both Kevin and I loved it. The article said to serve it with cream cheese, but we loved it plain.




Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped pitted dates (about 10 ounces)
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, at room temperature
2⁄3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped

1. Mix dates, milk, butter and molasses in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir until butter melts and mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl, and cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

3. Stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.

4. Whisk the egg, sugar, and vanilla until blended well. Add to date mixture; stir well. Add pecans and flour mixture to date mixture; stir until well-blended. Spoon into prepared loaf pan.

5. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes.