Moist 'n' Dark Date Nut Bread

This recipe makes 3 loaves-worth of this yummy bread. Give away the extra loaves as hostess gifts or to friends - or, if you keep them for yourself, they freeze wonderfully wrapped in plastic wrap, so will last a long time. A couple of slices makes a perfect breakfast in the morning.

Combine 2 cups chopped and pitted dates in a bowl with 2 teaspoons baking soda. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the date mixture; stir and let cool. (The recipe didn't say exactly how cool to let it become - room temperature etc. - I let mine cool down for about 15 minutes).

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups raw sugar, 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (such as Earth Balance), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and the equivalent of one egg using egg replacer (such as Ener-G). Beat with a mixer until well blended.

Spoon out 3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour into measuring cups, leveling with a knife. Alternate adding the flour and the date mixture to the sugar mixture, starting and ending with the flour.

Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans (toast them first in a skillet for a couple of minutes, before you chop them).

Pour the batter evenly into 3 (8x5-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack, then remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Each loaf will yield 16 slices, each of which is 110 calories.

Cost:
dates $4.49
raw sugar $3.49
all-purpose flour $4.49
pecans $6.99