-
Do not chop your dates too small or they will break up in the batter. I like to cut each dried date into only 4 or 5 pieces so that you can see actual pieces of date in the loaf when you cut it.
-
Pour the hot tea or coffee over the chopped dates along with the melted butter, salt, baking soda and brown sugar. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to help dissolve the brown sugar.
-
Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
-
After the date mixture has cooled stir in the vanilla extract.
-
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg and add to the date mixture along with the 2 beaten eggs.
-
Fold the batter together by hand using a rubber spatula. When the flour is almost all incorporated, add the toasted pecans during the last few folds of the batter.
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass bakeware). Grease a large 9x5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
-
Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. You can top the loaf with a few untoasted pecans and additional pieces of chopped date if you like.
-
Bake for about one hour until a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Baking times may very by oven and the type of pans used, so check it 5 to 10 minutes early and allow extra time if needed. Let the toothpick test be the best judge of when it is done.
-
Remove from oven and let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan and letting it cool completely on a wire rack.