Banana Date Nut Bread
My mother’s recipe for Banana Date Nut Bread is a family favorite. Plain in appearance but not in flavor, it’s gets moisture and sweetness from chopped dates, super-ripe bananas, and dark brown sugar. The nuts change depending on what’s in the pantry, and walnuts (my favorite), pecans, or almonds work equally well. It keeps well for several days at room temperature and freezes very well. I recall slices of this bread with cream cheese in between as a regular lunchbox treat.
Yield: About 12 slices, each ¾” thick
Time: 1 ½ hours
½ c. (1 stick) margarine (if you want to substitute with butter, increase the flour by 3 Tbsp.)
¾ c. granulated sugar
¾ c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
2 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
¾ c. pitted dates, snipped into medium dice
¾ c. chopped toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
Preheat oven to 300°. Grease 1 large (9 ½” x 5 ½”) loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
Cream margarine and sugars until light and fluffy, then beat in eggs. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients then add to creamed mixture, beating well to combine. Add bananas, dates and nuts, stirring well to thoroughly incorporate. Transfer batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The center may fall slightly before baking time is completed. Cool 5 minutes, invert and remove parchment paper, then return right-side up to cool completely.
Make sure pans are no more than 2/3 full. Also works well for smaller loaf pans (2 - 7 ½” x 3 ½”), mini muffins, or jumbo muffins. Baking time will be shorter.