5 Ingredients or Fewer

"Jewish Bread" (Anyu's Date Nut Bread)

February 26, 2017
5
1 Ratings
Photo by Windischgirl
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Makes 1loaf
Author Notes

Going through my grandmother's recipes, I came across this cryptically-named recipe with sparse instructions. The ingredients were even more puzzling; would a recipe with 3 eggs but only 5 Tablespoons of flour even work?
What emerged from my oven was a golden loaf, rich with dates and nuts, a cousin to fruitcake and perfect with an afternoon cup of tea. Anyu knew what she was doing! —Windischgirl

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Ingredients
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Walnuts, chopped
  • 1 pound Dates, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
  • Cooking spray
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray and dusting it with flour.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the beater blade, beat the 3 eggs, the sugar, and the vanilla extract at high speed until pale colored and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the 5 Tbs. flour and the baking powder.
  3. Place the chopped dates in a bowl and toss with the 2 Tbs flour until evenly coated. Combine with the chopped walnuts.
  4. When the eggs are well-beaten, remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape off the beater blade. Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture, and using a scraper spatula, gently fold the flour into the eggs until just combined. Gently fold in half the dates and nuts until coated, then fold in the remainder.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out moist but clean. If the loaf is browning too quickly, cover it with foil.
  6. Let the loaf rest in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then gently loosen the sides with an offset spatula and turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
  7. Note: can add zest of 1 lemon to the batter along with the flour. I’ve also made this with gluten-free flour with good results.
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9 Reviews

Buffgirl23 December 16, 2022
In paragraph it has listed 5 Tbsp flour... in actual recipe you have 2 Tbsp! Should definitely be 5
Windischgirl December 16, 2022
Sorry if it’s confusing! There’s 2 separate amounts of flour listed in the ingredients. The 5 Tbs gets mixed with baking powder and sifted into the batter. An additional 2 Tbs flour is tossed with the dates (so they don’t sink to the bottom). So total is 7 Tbs. Thanks for checking!
Buffgirl23 December 18, 2021
Yes! My mom had a similar recipe, I make it every year. Same ingredients except for 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup dates. Very sparsely written. Reminds me of my childhood in the 60's
Windischgirl December 22, 2021
I hope you try this! BTW, any chance you are from Buffalo NY? I’m a native and also survived the 60s, LOL.
Buffgirl23 December 22, 2021
OMG!!! Yes i am, Tonawanda, ny.
witloof April 1, 2017
I think perhaps it was called Jewish Bread because it's pareve {contains neither meat nor dairy, therefore can be eaten with anything}. I've seen recipes for things like "Jewish Apple Cake" because they contained oil instead of butter and could be eaten for dessert after a holiday meal, which traditionally is meat based.
Windischgirl February 5, 2020
I suspect you are correct. Thanks, Witloof!
Windischgirl March 2, 2017
No idea why my grandmother called this "Jewish Bread" (BTW, we're not Jewish.) Maybe because dates and nuts grow in abundance in Israel? In any case, it's delicious. You should make it, Doris!
Doris March 1, 2017
The recipe sounds like date walnut bread!