Ina Garten Date Nut Spice Bread is a delightful blend of sweet and spice, perfect for enjoying with your morning coffee or as a comforting snack. The moist bread, with its hints of orange and nutty crunch, will surely warm your heart and home.
For substitutions, if you’re out of orange liqueur, a splash of orange juice can add a nice citrus touch, though the flavor will differ. When it comes to the nuts, walnuts could work in place of pecans if that’s what you have on hand. Make sure to look for fresh dates, as older ones can be dry and less flavorful, which isn’t what we want in a delicious bread like the. If you’re dealing with allergies, you could swap the butter for a dairy-free alternative, and while it might alter the flavor slightly, it’ll still be tasty.
Bread & Rolls
Ina Garten Date Nut Spice Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely chopped dates (10 ounces pitted)
- 1/3 cup orange liqueur (Cointreau or Triple sec)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 extra large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (3 oz.)
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine 2 cups coarsely chopped dates with 1/3 cup orange liqueur and let them marinate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to soak up all that glorious flavor.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s almost baking time.
- Prepare an 8×5 loaf pan by buttering the bottom, lining it with parchment paper, buttering again, and then dusting with flour. We want that bread to slide out with ease.
- Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl. Set aside for now; the dry ingredients are the backbone of the bread.
- In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat 4 tablespoons unsalted butter with 3/4 cup light brown sugar for about 1 minute until creamy. Then, reduce the speed to low and add in 1 extra large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon grated orange zest. Mix until just combined.
- Now, add the dry flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice to the butter mixture. Be careful not to overmix; we want a tender bread, not a dense one.
- Gently fold in the marinated dates and 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans by hand. Can you smell that deliciousness already?
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t rush the step; let it bake to perfection.
- Once baked, cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully turning the loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the orange cream cheese, combine 6 ounces of cream cheese, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon grated orange zest in a bowl and mix together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread generously on slices of warm bread.