By Tenth anniversary of Darla's death is in six weeks — November 3. I have started thinking about it. Eleventh anniversary this time. Eleven years is not a round number. But every year is a round number when you are the sister left behind.
Drove Tuesday, a short run.
Justin game Friday — 22 carries, 186 yards, 3 TDs. He is on fire. Scouts from UNK and Wayne State and Nebraska Wesleyan have all attended games. They are talking to his coach. They will talk to him.
Book two at 71,000. The manuscript is over halfway.
Dave's back had a bad Thursday. He pulled it picking up the oxygen tank Gayle uses occasionally. He iced for 48 hours. He was mostly better by Sunday. But I saw it. He does not say anything anymore. I do not ask anymore. We both know the trajectory.
Sunday dinner: pot roast. Seven at the table (Amber home). Gayle ate a full plate. Good.
Seven at the table, Gayle with a full plate, and the kind of Sunday that earns its own quiet moment after — that was the night I pulled out this old-fashioned date pudding. It’s the sort of dessert that doesn’t ask anything of you: no fuss, no frosting, just something warm and dense and a little bit sweet that says the meal mattered. After a week of watching Dave’s back go out and thinking ahead to November, I needed a dish that felt like it had been around longer than my grief. This one has.
Old Fashioned Date Pudding
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 9
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup boiling water
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Soak the dates. Place chopped dates in a bowl and pour 1 cup boiling water over them. Stir in the baking soda and let stand for 10 minutes until softened and slightly foamy.
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until combined. Mix in the beaten egg and vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the batter. Stir the date mixture (liquid and all) into the butter mixture. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in nuts if using.
- Pour and prepare topping. Pour batter into the prepared dish. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter, then pour 1 cup boiling water over it and stir to dissolve. Gently pour this topping over the batter — do not stir.
- Bake. Bake for 38—42 minutes, until the top is set and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. The pudding will form a saucy layer on the bottom as it bakes.
- Serve warm. Spoon into bowls, making sure each serving gets some of the caramel sauce from the bottom of the pan. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 62g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 210mg