Pumpkin Date Nut Bread

• 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts, (half fine, half coarse)
• 1 ½ cups dates, chopped coarse
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• ⅔ cup fresh orange juice
• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 whole eggs

Beat eggs gently with sugar.  Add shortening, butter, orange juice and pumpkin; mix well.  Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices; stir into egg mixture.  Fold in dates and nuts. 

Pour batter into 4 buttered 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inch loaf bans (buttered foil pans are nice to use) and bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour or until loaf tests done.  (If desired, about 20 minutes before end of baking time garnish loaves with walnuts or pecans.)  Cool 10 minutes in pan.  Turn out on wire rack.  When cool, wrap in waxed paper, foil or plastic film for several hours or overnight before slicing.