Date and walnut loaf (date nut bread)

This date and walnut loaf (and known as date nut bread) is an easy quick bread packed with flavor. It's perfect with tea or coffee and makes a great anytime snack.

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The idea of afternoon tea is pretty well known around the world these days. However people are generally more aware of the more formal set up with fancy tea cups and tiers of plates loaded with cakes, tea sandwiches and scones.

For most Brits, you'd never do that at home. Instead it's one of those things you might go out to do once in a blue moon for a special occasion. Day to day, a simple cup of tea and a snack are more typical, whether in the afternoon or "elevenses" (mid-morning).

This tasty fruity loaf is the kind of thing that's perfect for those everyday snacks. It's easy to make, has a lovely soft texture and is super tasty. This version needs only one bowl, too!

Origins of date and walnut loaf

This is a traditional Scottish loaf but it's a bit unclear what the origins are beyond that. Walnuts and dates are not exactly native ingredients, but dried fruits are common in baked goods. No doubt that's in part because they keep much better than fresh alternatives.

Date and walnut loaf is the same as what is called date nut bread in the US and Canada. It most likely came across the pond with immigrants and apparently became popular around the 1920s. These days, it can be seen as a bit of a retro recipe, but that doesn't mean it's not worth trying.

This is very much classic home baking. It uses relatively simple ingredients, with few steps. The recipe would have been handed down the generations and while you'll see some slight variations, they are minimal. It has some similarities to Irish barmbrack that was another one we had at home often.

Steps to make this loaf

As I mention this is really easy to make and comes together in a few easy steps:

• Prepare your baking pan - line the loaf pan/tin with a "sling" of parchment paper to make it easier to remove the loaf after baking.
• Soak the dates - you soak the dates in hot water along with baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). The baking soda helps to soften the dates as well as helping them not all fall to the bottom as you bake.
• Mix in other ingredients - you first mix in the wet ingredients then the dry to form a smooth batter (well, apart form the lumps of date and walnut, obviously).
• Pour into the baking pan and bake - just gently smooth the top of the loaf and bake at medium heat. Test with a skewer to ensure it is baked right through before removing from the oven.

It's really all very easy and pretty forgiving, too. You can mix things in a different order and it will almost certainly still be fine. The only thing you want to watch for is that you don't have clumps of flour in the batter as the will give you dry specs in the end loaf.

Serving and storing

While it can be really tempting to dive right in, give it a little time to cool down first. In fact, this is a loaf that's generally best left to cool completely before slicing. It really benefits from being able to firm up a little more.

If anything, you might want to make it a day ahead as while the crisp edge in a fresh loaf is great, the inside tends to crumble. It cuts much nicer after a bit of a rest. You can enjoy this both at room temperature or gently warmed (toasted is tasty).

You can enjoy this date nut bread just as it is or with a little smear of butter on top. An American friend told me she grew up having it with a little cream cheese on top. Granted, this is more an American than Scottish way to serve it but I can see it working.

If you have any leftover, you can store it for a few days, wrapped, at room temperature. It does get slightly drier but it's a pretty moist loaf so is still good. Especially as you have those juicy chunks of date in there.

You can also freeze it either as a chunk or whole loaf, or cut in slices. Then defrost in the fridge before using.

The date and walnut loaf, or date nut bread to some, is a classic, easy and tasty tea loaf. You don't need many ingredients or utensils, and the end result is tender and tasty. Perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, or any excuse you like.

Try these other tasty quick breads and easy cakes:

• Raspberry banana bread
• Piernik (Polish gingerbread cake)
• French lemon yogurt cake
• Apple snack cake
• Plus get more snack recipes and British recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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