NOSTALGIC RECIPE IN THESE TIMES

Another week at home and feeling quite nostalgic. Having extra time to reflect, I’ve been looking through old photos and family recipes. I came upon a most memorable one from my Grandmother Miriam, or Gigi as my kids knew her: Date-Nut Bread (more like a “cake” in my view!).

I’m not really a baker, but I decided to go for this one to feel a sense of connection to my past. Years ago, my grandmother gave me a few of her recipes handwritten on index cards. I especially love this since not only am I baking her recipe, I am reading it in her own hand. This makes me feel especially sentimental and nostalgic, especially because my last child is about to graduate high school this weekend.

We all can agree, these are crazy times. But what helps so much is having family around us in our homes. Baking this Date-Nut Bread this morning filled my house with the yummy smells of sweetness and warm memories. Finding and sharing past family recipes, or even current ones is a beautiful way to connect to those you love.

This is a super easy recipe that is rather basic and old-school. If any of those remember Chock Full O’ Nuts (the original NY coffee brand from the 60s, 70s, and early 80s), they had a signature “bread” like this that they served with their famous coffee.

Take yourself back to some real sweetness with your cup of coffee this week. Warmed sliced Date-Nut Bread with some cream cheese smeared on top, delicious!

Feeling Nostalgic in These Uncertain Times

Gigi's Date-Nut Bread

1 cup of sugar (I use brown but it can be pure cane).
2 Eggs.
1 cup of boiling water.
½ lb. pitted dates.
2 teaspoons of baking soda.
¼ lb. butter.
2 cups of all-purpose flour (you can also try it with coconut flour).
1 cup of chopped walnuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a nonstick loaf pan.
Beat eggs and sugar and then add the flour and beat more.
In a separate bowl place the dates and add the baking soda and pour the boiling hot water into the bowl and mix.
Add the date mixture to the egg/sugar and flour bowl and beat through.
Add the walnuts and beat through more.
Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish.
Bake in the oven for about an hour - check readiness with a toothpick.