Date-Nut Bread

I had a package of baking dates that had been in the pantry at least a year. J mentioned that she loved date-nut bread from her childhood, so I decided to give it a try. Found a recipe online, but I ended up changing it pretty significantly (increased dates, decreased sugar, added an egg white and substituted oil for some butter). She enjoyed it. It's pretty sweet, and definitely works well spread with some neufchatel (reduced fat cream cheese) either at room temperature or slightly heated. You can slice it horizontally or in wedges, but not as thin as you would bread.

Makes 6 mini bundt cakes, which is at least 12 servings.

• 11 oz pitted dates (1 package, about 1.5 cups)
• ¾ c boiling water
• 1.5 c all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 T butter
• 3 T oil
• ¾ c light brown sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• juice from one lemon
• 1 c coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter & flour a mini-bundt cake pan.

Combine the boiling water and dates in bowl and let cool, at least 15 minutes.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a small bowl. In bowl of mixer, beat butter, add oil and continue to beat. Add sugar, then eggs, lemon juice and peel. Mix in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternatively with eh date mixture in 2 additions. Stir in nuts. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake bread until tester comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Keeps several days.