Date Nut Spice Bread with Orange Cream Cheese

Ina Garten's Date Nut Spice Bread with Orange Cream cheese makes for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack with a hot cup of tea.  This morning I had it for breakfast and marveled, once again, at just how delicious this loaf is.  I had it warm from the oven with the cream cheese melting, ever so slightly into the dense, date-studded, spicy deliciousness.  I always make twice the amount of orange cream cheese as the recipe calls for, using the rest to pipe decoratively into hollowed out strawberries for dessert.

Date Nut Spice Bread

2 cups coarsely chopped dates (10 ounces pitted)

1/3 cup orange liqueur 

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 extra-large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (3 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pan.

Combine the dates and orange liqueur in a small bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. With the mixer still on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating only until combined. By hand, stir in the dates with their liquid, and the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, sugar, and orange zest on medium speed until just combined.

Slice the bread and serve with the orange cream cheese on the side for spreading.

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CINNABON Bakery Mix Product Review

I love to wander through Sam's during the holiday season. I love the piles of bright red poinsettias, the potted Norfolk Pines sprinkled with pixie dust, the aisles of festive wrap, ribbon, boxes, and cards, the reindeer, the scary over-sized decorations, and the aisle of prepackaged baskets full of artfully displayed name-brand over-priced goodies. Ahhhh, the holidays. It was during one of my jaunts that a particular product gave me pause. I'd rounded a corner and there it was, a mountainous stack of boxes of Cinnabon baking mix. I could almost smell the heady aroma of hot cinnamon and glaze. I hesitated grabbed at it and put it in the cart, shoving fruit and vegetables out of the way to make room for this star. I could hardly wait to get my treasure home. 

The box, a 2-pack, says it makes either 16 scones, 36 muffins, 2 coffee cakes, or 2 bread loaves. I decided to make scones because I just love that wedge shape and it called for a full cup of cream, so they just had to be authentic. Having only recently priced (Yikes!) and purchased cream, I thought these had better be good.



The process is simple thanks to four packages of ingredients for each pack.   

I gathered my utensils and followed the instructions. 



 I dumped the packet of backing mix into a large bowl, shook in some raisins, and added the egg and cream. I stirred the ingredients together until just mixed.

The top was sprinkled with the packet of cinnamon swirl mix.



Seven stirs incorporated the cinnamon quite well.

I formed an 8" round (with floured hands, this was not mentioned on the box but should have been).

  

 The round was cut into 8 wedges (again flour is needed here, on the knife)

     

The scored round is then topped with the streusel mix.

 

Into the oven for 35 minutes, it came out looking like this. I can't begin to describe how fabulous the house smelled while the baking was going on. It smelled so good I wanted to swoon; I think Heaven must smell like this.

I slid it from the baking sheet onto a rack to cool. Once slightly cooled, the final step is to drizzle with glaze. Is this beautiful, or what? Aren't you dying for a bite?

 

Obviously I was. My husband, who was eating his lunch of a hot dog, was poised over my scone, fork in hand waiting to try it.

DELICIOUS! This is a great product, two thumbs way up.

One caveat. This does not have the denseness of an English scone. (My husband's observation, he the maker of classic English scones.) This is true, this version (and those you find at St. Louis Bread Co/Panera) all have a texture that more closely resembles a coffee cake. But I say...who cares? It's wonderful. And I have another set of ingredients left!

RECOMMENDED!