Date and Walnut Quick Bread

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl add pitted dates and warm water and let it soak for at least 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar and the eggs until combined. Stir in vanilla and rum extract; mix until incorporated. Add pitted dates, the water the dates were soaking in, the walnuts, baking soda and salt; mix until combined. Add the flour and stir just until incorporated.

Spoon batter prepared loaf pan. Use the back of the spoon to smooth batter out.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (my oven cooks quickly so mine took 45 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove it from the pan to a wire rack.