Grandma Taylor's date-nut pudding

Serves 10

Although called a pudding, this is actually a thin, chewy, caky mixture. The 2 tablespoons of flour are all that is needed to hold the mixture together. Jean Safford, whose grandmother made this pudding, serves it in bite-size pieces garnished with unsweetened whipped cream. "You surely need this at the end of a big meal," says Safford, who wouldn't dream of omitting it from her brimming table.

2 cups dates, cut with a scissors into pieces

2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

Set the oven at 325 degrees. Butter a 12-inch baking dish.

In a bowl combine the dates, walnuts, eggs, flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix thoroughly and transfer to the prepared pan.

Bake in the hot oven for 45 minutes or until the top is set and the pudding is beginning to brown.

Let it cool in the pan, then cut it into small pieces, arrange 3 to 4 on each plate, and top with softly whipped, unsweetened cream. Adapted from Jean Safford.