Date and Walnut Bread

Another dish I made while we were carb loading was this Date and Walnut Bread. This is a dense bread, but it's quite good. I love that it's not overly sweet, but it's still sweet enough to capture my sweet tooth. I actually didn't eat this for breakfast, but I took it as an afternoon snack or an after workout treat. This recipe came from our Runner's World Athlete's Palate book and was contributed by Patricia Wells.

Date & Walnut Bread
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon walnut oil
1 1/2 cups dates, pitted and cubed
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup hottest possible tap water
1/2 cup honey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour **I used whole wheat pastry flour instead.**

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Coat a nonstick one-quart rectangular bread pan with the walnut oil. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine dates, walnuts, baking soda, salt, and honey. Add hot water and stir to blend. Add eggs and vanilla to the date mixture and blend thoroughly. Slowly add flour, blend well. The batter will be fairly thick.

3. Pour batter into pan, evening out the top with a spatula. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

4. Remove from the pan and let cool for at least an hour. Bread can be stored for up to three days, tightly wrapped in plastic. One loaf, 12 slices.