KAHLUA DATE NUT CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD: National Date Nut Bread Day!

Today is National Date Nut Bread Day. I love nut breads of all kinds, and I think you'll enjoy this spin on a traditional Date Nut Bread. For today's holiday, here's a recipe for Kahlua Date Nut Chocolate Chip Bread. How can you go wrong with Kahlua and Chocolate and Dates and Nuts? And, this is so easy and quick! It's a Quick Bread! I love this bread toasted in the morning with my tea.

Kahlua Date Nut Chocolate Chip Bread 

Ingredients
1 cup chopped, pitted dates
1/2 cup Kahlua
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°
Combine Dates and Kahlua. Set aside and let the dates absorb the Kahlua. Yum!
Beat sugar, butter, and egg together until creamy.
In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Alternate adding flour mixture and date mixture to sugar mixture.
Stir in pecans (or walnuts) and dark chocolate chips.
Put batter in sprayed/greased loaf pan (s).
Let batter stand in pan(s) for about 5 minutes.
Bake until done.
For a regular loaf pan, bake 60 to 70 minutes.
For medium loaf pans, bake 50 to 60 minutes.
For small loaf pans, bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Dr Pepper Chocolate Cake: History & Retro Recipe

Using soda in cakes is very Retro, and it works. The recipe below for Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake is perfect for the Fall season. I've posted a Chocolate 7-Up Cake recipe, as well as a Chocolate Coca Cola Cake (with the possibility of using Pepsi for those who favor the 'other' brand).

I'm a fan of Dr Pepper, the National Drink of Texas. Headquarters is in Waco, and the Dr. Pepper Museum there tells about the creation of Dr Pepper at the Old Corner Drug Store and the growth of the soft drink industry. It also teaches you about the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company which was once located in the museum. Be sure and scroll down to the "Truth about Dr Pepper" ad from 1970.

Here's a good recipe for Chocolate Dr Pepper Cake from the Baylor University Alumni Association Cookbook: "Homecoming: Special Foods, Special Memories." The original recipe called for margarine, but I always use butter.

CHOCOLATE DR. PEPPER CAKE

Cake
1 cup butter 
1 cup Dr Pepper
4 tablespoons DARK cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional...I don't use it)
3 cups flour,  sifted
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs -- well beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda

Dr. Pepper Frosting
1/2 cup Dr Pepper
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons DARK cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar -- sifted
1/2 cup pecans -- chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Heat Dr. Pepper with butter, but do not boil. Set aside. Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa. Beat together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and baking soda. Add hot Dr. Pepper mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in egg mixture, and blend well. Pour into greased and floured 15x10-inch sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 deg. for 25 minutes.

For frosting: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat Dr Pepper, butter, and cocoa.
Stir in powdered sugar, pecans, and vanilla. Spread frosting on while cake is still hot.

COFFEE ICE CREAM PIE: National Coffee Ice Cream Day

Warm where you are today? Here's an easy (20 minutes to make - and then freeze) no-bake recipe for Coffee Ice Cream Pie that has a great chocolate cookie crust that includes coconut and chopped nuts along with the chocolate wafers. It's a very versatile crust and would also be great with a key lime filling, as well as any other ice cream flavor. This recipe is adapted slightly from Pillsbury. As I've mentioned many times, the big 'food product' sites often have fabulous recipes. You can adapt and update as you like, and they're a springboard for ideas, so be sure and check them out!

COFFEE ICE CREAM PIE

Ingredients
30 chocolate wafers, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut  (I like toasted coconut)
3 Tbsp finely chopped macadamia nuts (or cashews)

Filling 
1 quart coffee ice cream, slightly softened

Topping 
1 cup hot fudge sauce, warmed
Whole macadamia nuts (or cashews), if desired

Directions
In medium bowl, mix crushed chocolate wafers, butter, coconut, and finely chopped macadamia nuts.
Press mixture in bottom and side of 9-inch glass pie plate; refrigerate 15 minutes.
Carefully spoon softened ice cream into chilled crust.
Cover and freeze about 2 hours or until firm.
Top individual servings with fudge sauce, chopped macadamia nuts, and chopped chocolate covered coffee beans.
Cover and freeze any remaining pie.

To make cutting the pie easier, remove it from the freezer about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 

Cartoon of the Day: Chocolate Chip Cookies