Praline Pumpkin Date Bread

Meet a cousin to banana bread, easy to mix and pop in the oven. Worth the wait while it bakes! MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

August 12, 2005

Praline Topping

1/3

cup packed brown sugar

1/3

cup chopped pecans

tablespoon butter or margarine, softened

1 2/3

cups granulated sugar

2/3

cup vegetable oil

teaspoons vanilla

eggs

can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

teaspoons baking soda

teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon ground cloves

cup chopped dates

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1

Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches, with shortening.
2

Mix all Praline Topping ingredients until crumbly; set aside.
3

In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin. Stir in remaining Date Bread ingredients except dates until well blended. Stir in dates. Pour batter into pans. Sprinkle with topping.
4

Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing.

You can wrap the baked bread tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.
This sweet and spicy bread is perfect for gift-giving. Wrap cooled bread in clear or colored cellophane and tie with ribbon, raffia or beaded string.