Baking

At a recent benefit (Bubble Foundation, NYC) that I assisted in the preparation of foods, a gluten free cookie was served. I started thinking about adapting some of my baked goods to be gluten free also. This one fell right into place as it was practically gluten free to begin with. <br />My great grandmother appears to have had a love affair with dates and nuts. Some of her other recipes were date nut bread, date nut bars, and a cake. Judging from a bit of research, cooking with dates and nuts was not uncommon during the Depression era. This date and nut baked pudding is a great example of a pudding that did not have to be watched on the stove, freeing the cook to do other things while it baked. Dates added sweetness when sugar was at a premium price and nuts were often free for the picking (from the ground when they fell) in many parts of the country. There is only a smidgen of flour and butter here. Eggs and milk were most likely provided by a local farmer (in Ohio where my great grandmother lived). She was the wife of a dentist and I know from my grandmother that they were often paid in goods and services in lieu of cash during those lean times. I took the liberty of gussying up my great grandmother's recipe by adding some chocolate and espresso to this already tasty recipe. It is also a one bowl affair which is always a plus.

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