Sugar Bush Maple-Date-Nut Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe is an adaption of one that was developed for the Michigan Maple Syrup Association. It is fast and easy to make, but there is, of course, a hitch. The bread should be made the day before you plan to slice and serve it. These flavors need time to meld and ripen and I think the freshly made bread is disappointing. Not so its day old cousin. This loaf is a perfect candidate for a morning coffee or afternoon tea. It travels well and, if properly wrapped, it will stay fresh for several days. I have given the amount of maple syrup used in the recipe as a range for you to use as a guideline. I find 3/4 of a cup of syrup to be too much, but the Silver Fox thinks it is just right. We are, indeed, an odd couple. Let your own taste for sweets be your guide. I also recommend lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Pan release problems have convinced me that the time spent lining them is worth every second it takes. If you enjoy tea breads, I hope you'll give this one a try. The addition of maple syrup makes this old favorite seem new. Here is how the bread is made.

Sugar Bush Maple-Date-Nut Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from the Michigan Maple Syrup Association

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1) Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Set aside.
3) In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over dates and butter. Stir until butter melts. Mix maple syrup and egg into date mixture. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold pecans into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
4) Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Wrap; store overnight before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

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Pumpkin Date Nut Squares

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of my favorite ingredients for fall baking is pumpkin, and at this time of year, I try to work it into breads and cakes and cookies whenever I can. I had a cup of canned pumpkin leftover from another recipe and I wanted to use it rather than throw it away.  A quick search for recipes that would use that cup led me to Whole Foods Market site  where I found  these Pumpkin Date Nut Squares. These cake-like treats are perfect for school lunches or an informal afternoon tea.  They combine the naturally sweet flavor of dates with the warm spices usually associated with pumpkin desserts and they make a great and reasonably healthy fall snack. If you enjoy date nut bars I suspect you'll love these as well. The cookies are made with whole wheat pastry flour and they are jam-packed with dates and nuts as well as pumpkin. Like any fruit cake or bar, these improve with age and I try to make them the day before I want to serve them. The recipe is straightforward and I think you will find it easy to follow. Here's how the squares are made.

Pumpkin Date Nut Squares...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Whole Food's Market

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 pound pitted dates (about 3 cups), roughly chopped
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2) Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
3) In a second bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla and water and beat again until combined.
4) In a small bowl toss dates with 1/4 cup of flour mixture until coated well. Gradually add remaining flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating slowly. Stir in dates and pecans then transfer batter to a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan and spread out evenly.
5) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool on a rack, then cut into squares and serve. Yield: 24 Squares.

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Oatmeal Scones with Dates

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When I was a little girl we had a neighbor who made oat farls on St. Patrick's Day. If you're not to the shamrock born, it helps to know that a farl is a scone that's made from the same dough as plain Irish soda bread - the naked variety that's made with whole wheat flour and not much else. Oatmeal is usually added to the dough which is then cooked on a griddle until it's done. The griddle is a holdover from the days when there were no ovens in Irish kitchens and all cooking was done on the hearth. I have a morning meeting on Wednesday and I'm responsible for providing Irish treats to go with our coffee and tea. Because it's a large gathering, I want to make something that honors the spirit of the day, but, more importantly, is fast, easy and inexpensive to assemble and reheat. I've seen this recipe floating through the ether for several years now. I can't date the first occurrence of the recipe, so I 'm going to consider it one that is in the public domain. If I'm wrong, let me know and you'll be credited for the recipe. I tested the recipe last week and I'm happy to report that it makes lovely, soft scones that are dropped rather than shaped or cut. The sweetness of the scones comes from a very small amount of sugar and dates. These scones are more tender than most because cake flour is used to assemble them. They take 15 minutes to prepare and about 20 minutes to cook. It doesn't get any easier than this. Here's the recipe.

Oatmeal Scones with Dates...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter-cut into bits
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) Move a rack to middle third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Whisk milk, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until mixture is well combined.
3) In another bowl stir together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4) Stir in dates and milk mixture until a sticky dough forms.
5) Drop dough by 1/3-cup measures onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden. (Alternatively scones may be dropped onto a hot greased griddle and cooked over moderate heat, turning them, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden on both sides and cooked through.) Serve hot with butter and jam. Yield: 8 servings.

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