Recipe(tried): Orange, Date, and Pecan Bread

ORANGE, DATE, AND PECAN BREAD

1 orange
About 1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
2 cups all purpose flour, measured before sifting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, or mixed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan.

Wash and squeeze orange and add to the juice enough boiling water to yield 1 cup.

Remove pulp from orange and put peeling through food grinder. Combine with dates, orange liquid, sugar, butter, and egg.

Sift dry ingredients together three times and add; mix well; stir in nuts. Turn into prepared loaf pan.

Bake at 350 (325 for glass pan) about 50 minutes, or until bread tests done. Cool in pan. Freezes well.

Yield: 1 loaf

TO MAKE DAINTY SANDWICHES:
Freeze or refrigerate bread and slice thinly. Fill with 8 ounces softened cream cheese blended with honey, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons orange juice, dash salt, and a few drops almond extract.

Donna O. Okla