Comments on: date spice loaf

By: Tanya

Tanya — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:01:06 +0000

Absolutely delicious. I’m upset I didn’t try it sooner. I soaked the dates in rum with a little bit of orange juice (voila! orange flavoured liquor). I only had whole cloves so I didn’t use any in the loaf. I didn’t find the nutmeg overpowering at all. I don’t like fruit cake so this will definitely be my go to holiday bread. The smell is wonderful!

By: Laurie

Laurie — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:15:58 +0000

I just found your site and I think it is absolutely wonderful. Congratulations on the birth of your son, he is darling.
I have only made one of the recipes and that was the raspberry short bread cookies…they got rave reviews…I look forward to many, many more.

By: Abby

Abby — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:20:03 +0000

OMG this is the best date cake I have ever made….I was lucky enough to have an abundance of fresh oranges (its spring here in OZ) so I made some fresh juice for it…. and I subbed the contreau for more OJ (I am pregnant) so delicious thanx for sharing this with me!! I have visions of dried apricot version, maybe pumpkin and something with choc chips…. so tasty!! ;)

By: Nadia

Nadia — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:35:13 +0000

I made this today, substituting 1/3 cup orange juice plus 1/3 cup boiling water for the orange liquer (so in effect, increasing the total liquid a bit) and keeping everything else in the recipe the same. It’s a reasonably good loaf bread but, as one reviewer to the Ina Garten recipe on the Food Network remarked, the nutmeg is overpowering. I think I should have followed my instincts, which is always to put the greatest quantity of cinnamon, followed by a lesser quantity of nutmeg and then just a smidgen of cloves, the most aggressive spice of them all. I don’t think I’ll bother with this Garten recipe again. Perhaps the liquer is important to move it away from meh — and so, incidentally, is the quality of orange juice you use, as the taste is inescapable. Kisses to the little one!

By: Lena

Lena — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:08:59 +0000

First I just want to say CONGRATS!! Your boy is absolutely beautiful, definitely one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen. He seems to have completely missed the raisin alien baby look and went straight to cute as a button. Second, I made this date loaf for work and it was AMAZING!!!!

By: haruspex

haruspex — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:40:47 +0000

Baby is adorable. Now let’s talk date bread. I just made this and it’s very good, distinctly orangey and spicy, but I can’t imagine it holding up two cups of dates — I used just a little over one cup (including a few raisins) and it’s pretty dense with fruit. Just so future readers know: it comes out fine with less fruit & nuts, too.

By: Izzy

Izzy — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:36:53 +0000

Made this fabulous loaf yesterday but with walnuts and brandy because thats what the pantry offered! It was Stellar – 5 Star and I cant wait to go home and have anothe slice. Just what October ordered up. thank you!

By: pinky

pinky — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:17:32 +0000

Fabulous – I did these as muffins, and they’re absolutely killer. I love the complexity of the flavors.

And congrats on the baby, too.

By: Sarah from Belgium

Sarah from Belgium — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:17:59 +0000

Hey Deb,

I looooove your blog, one of my favorite and congratulations on your very beautiful baby! He is so gorgeous! :)

By: phloxy

phloxy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:56:14 +0000

Ok, you are probably not going to read this far, but … you had me at the eggplant dish. You deserve a book. WAY more than that twit who plays with his food (hope he’s not a friend) although it is fun. fastfoodbutfancy.com (not my blog) I am going to make both of these. MMMMMmmmm dates. MMMMmmm I took an eggplant from a friend’s garden. It is so fresh! Yesterday I made roasted red pepper puree, chardonnay grape jelly, and cucumber dill pickles (also from the garden. Do you think I remembered to take one picture? Not on your tintype.
Also, I gotta say, the baby is just gorgeous! congrats.