I have wanted to bake the Date-Nut Bread from the Ranch House Restaurant in Ojai, CA ever since I first tasted it. At the time I didn’t even like dates, but this quick bread was pretty decadent. Sweet, moist, and great slathered in butter. The cookbook from that restaurant has been collecting dust on my shelf for many years, so it was finally time to conquer it.
The original recipe is neither vegan nor high-altitude and has a few quirky directions. It took me several tries to come up with a bread that not only tasted (and smelled) fantastic but also had the right texture. I did a few basic veganisms – oil for butter and tofu for egg. I added in some whole wheat flour to make it more healthy, while adapting for altitude by using regular baking powder instead of double-acting.
There is one step I didn’t change. It says to line the bread pan with brown paper. Just do it. I was using a non-stick pan so I thought I only needed a light oiling of the pan – it was a bad idea. The bread cooked perfectly except around the outside where it remained gooey and refused to release from the pan. I got smart on the third attempt and used lightly greased parchment paper. Some directions were written to be followed exactly.
Until next time, happy baking!
Date Nut Bread
Equipment
- Mini Loaf Pan
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 5 ounces chopped pitted dates
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup blended silken tofu
- 1 1/4 cups organic sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F. Prepare a mini loaf pan by cutting parchment paper to fit three of the four sections. Lightly brush the pieces of paper with shortening and insert the paper into each of the three sections. The fourth section will not be used.
- Put dates in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine the tofu and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the dates with their water, oil, milk and vanilla and beat again. Blend in the flour mixture in two batches. Add in the walnuts and mix well.
- Divide the batter between the three prepared sections of the loaf pan. Bake for 33-35 minutes, or until the tops rise up and crack a little. Remove loaves from pan and place on a rack to cool.
[…] altitude. Some recipes required only a few attempts while others took several rounds (I still have Date Nut Bread in my freezer). Yet it was always worth the taste […]