American : Date-Nut Bread

• 1 1/2 cups milk
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
  
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
  
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 tablespoons Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
  

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the inside of two clean, empty 1-pound coffee cans.* Bring milk to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat; add dates and let stand 10 minutes.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and walnuts in large bowl; mix well. Beat eggs lightly in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Stir in date-milk mixture and TABASCO^® Sauce until well blended; stir mixture into flour mixture just until well blended.

Pour batter into prepared containers; bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in containers for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from containers and cool completely on a wire rack.

*Or, mixture can be baked in two clean, new terracotta flower pots 6 inches in diameter. To prepare pots, soak in cold water for 10 minutes; drain. Cut two pieces of foil to measure 24 x 8 inches; grease one side. Line pots with prepared foil, greased side out, pressing to fit. (Foil should extend 2 inches above top of pot.) Cut two circles of foil about 1 inch larger than bottom of pot. Grease one side; press into pots, greased-side up. Prepare batter and bake as above.

Makes 2 loaves.