Note: I was sent a copy of Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk (paid link) in order to write this post for an Eggnog Date Nut Bread. Opinions are mine alone.
We hosted Christmas this year for the first time, so my house is stocked with half opened and half eaten, well, everything. My husband, a lifetime grazer, is in his element, but I am still trying to best use up ingredients to make new recipes, like using up any remaining eggnog to make this Eggnog Date Nut Bread!
I had exactly one cup of eggnog left in my fridge, so when I was paging through Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk (paid link) and found this recipe for Eggnog Date Nut Bread that uses one cup of eggnog, it felt a bit like destiny.
Baking Secrets from the Bread Monk is filled with Father Dominic’s favorite tips and tricks for baking, so this cookbook is a lovely read. He even includes substitutes for common ingredients, hints for kitchen organization and storage, advice on the best baking tools for the job, and fun historical facts and kitchen wisdom.
Some of you may know Father Dominic Garramone, known as “The Bread Monk,” from the PBS cooking show Baking Bread with Father Dominic that aired from 1999 to 2001. He also has a number of cookbooks (I have another cookbook I’m excited to share with you in the new year). I recently was lucky enough to catch him at a virtual event hosted by the Hillside Public Library and loved hearing about his passion for baking.
This specific recipe for Eggnog Date Nut Bread is found in the “Food Holiday Mash-ups and Recipes for All Seasons” chapter under December and doesn’t require yeast to make, or any kneading at all.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting pan
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 cup eggnog
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan with cooking spray, then dust the sides lightly with flour. Chop your pecans and dates.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl, whisking to combine.
Stir in the chopped pecans and dates until evenly distributed.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, eggnog, and vegetable oil.
Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined – you don’t want to overmix the batter.
Pour the batter into your prepared bread pan and level.
Bake for 70 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
The texture of this bread is awesome!
You can taste the eggnog nicely in this bread. I also love the crunch from the pecans and the burst of sweetness from the dates.
Father Dominic suggests eating this bread the next day, served with cream cheese. It’s also pretty darn good while still slightly warm on its own!
Eggnog Date Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus flour for dusting pan
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 2 large eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 1 cup eggnog
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan with cooking spray, then dust the sides lightly with flour.
- Chop your pecans and dates.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl, whisking to combine.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and dates until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, eggnog, and vegetable oil.
- Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined – you don’t want to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared bread pan and level.
- Bake for 70 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
What do you think?