There’s nothing better than a delicious loaf to please your guests, and there’s a huge variety of the easy-to-make snack as well. Preparation time is minimal, and bake time is about an hour, so you can busy yourself with other household duties while the delicious aroma embraces your home. This tasty sweet has been found in historical records as far back as the 1300s and has been associated with hospitality every since.
Here’s the recipe for the classic date loaf. It’s nice spread with a little butter and keeps well for about a week. It also freezes nicely.
Date Loaf
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ tsp vanilla essence
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Put dates, boiling water, butter and baking soda into a bowl and stir until butter is melted. Let sit for one hour. Beat together egg, sugar, vanilla and walnuts, then stir in flour and baking powder. Pour into loaf pan and bake in 180 C (350F) oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto rack. Slice when cool into 16 slices.
Banana loaf or bread is delicious too. This recipe, which has chocolate chips added, can be prepared in 10 minutes. Some cooks throw one in to bake every time they have the oven on!
Banana Loaf
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 3 bananas
- ½ cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Heat oven to 180C (350F), mash bananas in a large mixing bowl, then add remaining ingredients. Pour batter into greased loaf pan or muffin tins. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean, then cool 10 minutes in pan before removing to a wire rack.
Try this delicious lemon loaf:
- ½ cup butter, margarine or shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 lemon, grated rind only
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, beating until creamy. Blend in milk. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind. Pour into batter, stir just to moisten, then scrape into greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 55 to 60 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes and remove to rack. At this point you can make a glaze of the juice of one lemon and ¼ cup of sugar, stirring in a saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved, and pouring over the warm loaf, poking holes over the top of the loaf to allow the glaze to penetrate the surface.
If you cut the average loaf into 16 slices, each will be about 150 calories, but eliminating or reducing the amount of walnuts or chocolate chips, and choosing sugar and egg substitutes will lower that number further. Yogurt or applesauce can be used in place of equal amounts of cooking oil. You will have to experiment to see which you like best if you wish to bake the healthier version.
Served with thin slices of cheese, a handful of grapes or apple slices, warmed with a little maple syrup, or just plain, a slice of any loaf is a great afternoon or evening snack to serve your guests. A fresh loaf also makes a wonderful gift for a gracious hostess or friend as well. Start today to collect recipes so you have a selection of delicious and mouth watering loaves for every occasion.
