Island Banana Bread

Another great recipe from Jubilee, Toni Tipton-Martin's James Beard award winning cookbook of African-American cooking.

1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. chopped Mejool dates
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. bakingsoda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 stick of butter (4 ounces)
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. mashed very ripe bananas
2 Tbsp. molasses
1/3 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a 9x5 or a 10x4 loaf pan.
Put pecans and dates in a small bowl with a tablespoon of flour, mix and set aside.
Put remaining flour and all other dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
To an electric mixing bowl add butter and brown sugar and blend.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  In a third bowl combine bananas, molasses, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix.  add the dry ingredients alternating with the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl until all are incorporated.  gently fold in the pecans and dates.
Pour batter in to the loaf pan, bake for about an hour, until skewer comes out clean.