Date Nut Tea Sandwiches

May 10, 2010

This is my favorite "tea sandwich". You make your own date-nut bread, and your own cream cheese and olive spread. It's been a family favorite since I first ate one at Chuck's in 1950's Key West, FL

Date Nut Tea Bread:

(recipe makes 2 regular-sized loaves)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. molasses (I use Grandma's yellow label unsulphured)
2 cups slightly warmed milk (100 degrees F)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups dates, chopped and dusted with 1/2 cup flour

Directions:

Dissolve the brown sugar and molasses in the milk in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs blending well.

In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt, then fold into the milk mixture being sure to moisten all the flour mixture.

Add nuts and stir gently. Do not over mix. Add floured dates and mix.

Grease and flour the loaf pan's bottoms and sides.

Pour batter into pans and let stand for about half an hour.

Place in preheated 350 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until bread test done. Turn loaves out onto a wire rack, and allow to cool thoroughly.

Cream Cheese and Olive Spread:

Ingredients:

1 8oz. block of cream cheese (I prefer Philadelphia regular)
2/3 cup (or more to taste) finely chopped green salad olives.

Directions:

Allow cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Add finely chopped green salad olives and mix well. Keep in covered container in refrigerator until needed.

For Sandwiches: Slice date nut tea bread as desired. Spread with cream cheese and green olive spread. Serve with a big spear of dill pickle.

Servings:	10
Time:	30-40 Minutes Preparation Time 40 Minutes Cooking Time

Source: Chuck's open-air restaurant in Key West, FL back in the early 1950's.

By Julia (pookarina) from Boca Raton, FL

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Comments

Clyde
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May 11, 20100 found this helpful

We used to buy a canned date-nut bread and make little round peanut butter and butter sandwiches. They were delicious with cold milk. Haven't seen any canned date-nut bread for a long time now.

These recipes sound really good Julia. Thanks for sharing them. Songwriter

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Marsha
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May 11, 20100 found this helpful

This was my favorite sandwich at Wolfie's, a wonderful Jewish Deli in New York. It came with that dill pickle spear too. :-) Don't see it on a menu very often. Thank you Julia. MisMachado

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Roseanne
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May 13, 20100 found this helpful

This will make a nice addition to my list of things to do this summer. I have two lady friends who talk about going to old-fashioned tea parties. I want to have a real tea party, and these recipes for date nut bread and the cream cheese filling are going to get used.

I also like almost any of the tiny sandwiches made using those individual sub-sandwich rolls. Just slice them into small rounds instead of longways. You can get about 4 good-sized tea sandwiches from each roll.

What other fillings would be good on date-nut bread?

Thank you in advance.
ww

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Lee
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May 14, 20100 found this helpful

This sounds so good. I like date nut bread,
but never thought about making a sandwich of it.

shadow0336

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