Date & Walnut Loaf

Happy Birthday my dear bloggy... ! Veg Bowl! turned another year older this month. And that's another milestone crossed with two years complete. I can't believe time is swiftly speeding away. It's like a blink of an eye, feels yesterday when I initiated this blog. It's crossed two years now, real fast. The blog's been on bloom, growing through the journey positively and it's been a pleasant one.

Change is constant and with this change is a ceaseless effort to improve my posts, photos, content, outlook and more importantly a balance in the variety of recipes I post. Along this journey, I have grown too and bettered as a cook. I have constantly drawn inspiration from many sources through this journey. Blog hops, magazines, cut outs, pamphlets and newspapers did not cease me any less to be inspired. A stroll into a book store or crossing a magazine stand in a supermarket would grab a second glance, my eyes peeking around eagerly looking out for cookbooks, that pick and flip through the magazine for an arbitrary hunt for recipes, capturing them to reserve in a corner of my mind so that I can replicate it back home.

I have received an unabated support and constant inspiration from my peer bloggers, friends and readers who have been kind enough to drop their suggestions, feedback and comments, either on blog or through emails or word of mouth. The response I have received has been over-whelming. Thanks guys for all the support and encouragement I have received from you. It has been motivating indeed.

For the second anniversary, I wanted a sweet treat, something that's simple, easy, yet signifying the celebration called for. I picked this Date and Walnut Loaf inspired by the recipe I chose from my Big Book of Baking. The book says use of an egg, however I have made an eggless version of the same, substituting the same with a teaspoon of baking soda and powder each.

Date & Walnut Loaf

Minimally adapted from Big Book of Baking

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup pitted dates, chopped
1 cup hot milk (substitute for non-dairy milk of your choice for vegan version)
1/3rd cup butter (substitute for non-dairy butter like earth balance / vegetable oil of your choice for vegan version)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease and prepare the loaf tin by smoothing some butter on all the sides.

Place dates and hot milk / vegan milk in bowl and allow it to stand for 10 mins so that the dates soften. Pulse this in a mixer till the dates combine with milk and resemble a smoothie texture. You may leave it coarsely ground if you like those few fruity pieces coming through the cake as you bite into them.

Beat the softened butter / vegan butter and sugar together till it's fluffy. Add vanilla. Stir well again. Add the dates milk mix to this and stir well again.

Sieve the flour in another bowl. Add in sugar, baking powder, soda into it. Mix them well.

Make a well into the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix till they just combine. Finally add in walnuts. Spoon mixture into the loaf pan, bake for 30-40 minutes until done.

Pardon me for my infrequent blogging and response. I know it has been sluggish than ever these days. I may not be able to give my due attention to blogging. I shall soon take a break from blogging to embrace tasks that will take priority in my life in the months to come. I am soon stepping into motherhood and this promotion comes with a lot of anxiety, joy, nervousness, tension and excitement. After going through months of emotional and physical upheaval, as we step into parenthood, we look forward to a brighter life with the little new one to come. Our lives will change forever, for the good. We need your prayers, best wishes and loads of good luck. Thank you for all the constant support and encouragement, I hope you guys still stand by.