This Date Orange Loaf is another great recipe to make during the cold winter months when fresh local fruit is all but a distant hazy memory. Dried dates are a great pantry staple and once they are rehydrated in fruit juice they become just delicious. When that fruit juice is freshly squeezed orange juice and the zest is added in the combination is a match made in heaven! This is a combination I have used in quite a few recipes and I am always trying to find new recipes to pop it into.
It is important to mix the dates with the hot orange juice as this allows the dates to absorb some of the juice and the flavour of the oranges. Ensure that you are using a large enough measuring cup or bowl as once you add the baking soda there is a chemical reaction and it all bubbles up quite a bit. Just stir it and it will settle down. Then add the butter and it will melt and then bring the temperature down as well. Also important to let it cool before you mix in the eggs or you will have scrambled eggs!
The smell of this Date Orange Loaf baking is quite wonderful. It would make a beautiful scent for a candle if you could harness it somehow – will have to let those folks at the candle stores know about my new idea for a fragrance! Now you will be thinking that there are folks in your house that don’t like dates, but you will be surprised, they will like this loaf. My son thought it was really good – after 4 slices- then I told him it had dates in it and he still continued to eat it. So give it a go – it is really yummy!
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1 cup orange juice
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, room temp
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- Butter and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat orange juice in a medium sized bowl or 4 cup glass measuring cup in microwave for 1-2 minutes until bubbling.
- Add in dates and orange zest. Add in baking soda - it will bubble up.
- Let sit for 2 minutes. Add in butter and stir until the butter melts. Let cool for 5 minutes further.
- Add in brown sugar and egg. Whisk until well combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add in the wet ingredient and stir just until the flour is all incorporated.
- Pour into loaf pan and bake for 50 -55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes then turn out and let cool completely.