Not Your Usual Date Bars Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED DATE BAR RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare a 9 x 13" baking pan by spraying with cooking spray and/or lightly but thoroughly flouring the bottom (if needed - my pan doesn't need this).
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.
• In a second medium bowl, combine sugar and butter until butter is completely incorporated into the sugar. The mixture will be crumbly, similar to wet sand. (I find it's easiest to do this with my hands, rubbing the butter into the sugar with my fingers, but you can also use an electric mixer.) Add eggs, water, and vanilla, and stir until thoroughly combined. Add the dates and walnuts and stir again to distribute evenly.
• Lightly dump the dry ingredients (flour mixture) over top of the wet ingredients (sugar mixture) and stir just until thoroughly combined. The dough will be very thick and sticky.
• Using a rubber scraper, spread the dough into the pan, pushing it and flattening it until it's an even thickness (dough will only thinly cover the entire pan).
• Bake for about 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
• Let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack before cutting. Cut into 39 sticks that are 1 inch wide and 3 inches long.
• Place at least 1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a wide bowl. Roll each bar in the sugar to coat, tapping gently to remove any excess, loose sugar. (You should actually use only about 1 tablespoon of the sugar to thinly coat the bars, but it makes it much easier to work with them if there is plenty of extra sugar in the bowl. You can discard the excess.)

DATE BARS

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, cook filling ingredients over low heat about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool 5 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening.
• In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until well mixed. Stir in flour, oats, baking soda and salt until crumbly. Press half of the crumb mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining crumb mixture; press lightly.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes in pan on cooling rack. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm.

NOT YOUR USUAL DATE BARS

Steps:

• In saucepan cook dates, milk and cream cheese over medium-low heat until dates are soft and mixture is blended.
• Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, vanilla and sour cream or yogurt and mix well.
• Mix baking soda and salt with flour and add to mixture, mixing well.
• Stir in by hand, slightly cooled date mixture and nuts.
• Spread in greased 15x10 jellyroll pan.
• Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.
• ICING:.
• Brown the butter on low heat, be careful not to burn.
• Stir into remaining ingredients, beat until smooth.
• Add small amount of milk if icing is too thick; spread over warm bars.

DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Stir in oil and honey until well blended together.
• Combine dates and water and simmer in a saucepan for about 5 minutes until soft and thick.
• Stir in honey.
• Pat only half of the crust into a greased 8x8 square pan making a thin layer all the way to the edges.
• Spread date filling over the crust smoothing it out so it covers all of the crust beneath it.
• Pat the remaining crust out on wax paper and transfer ontop of the date filling, remove wax paper.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes untili firm and golden.
• Cool in pan.
• Cut in small squares to serve. Enjoy!

MARZIPAN DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream butter and both sugars together in a large bowl.
• Add egg and vanilla then blend well. Next add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
• Add oats and dates and stir to blend.
• Press half the date mixture into an ungreased 8X8 glass baking dish.
• Roll the almond paste between 2 sheets of wax paper to form an 8X8 square.
• Place the almond paste on top of the date layer in the dish and press into place.
• Put the rest of the date mix on top of the marzipan layer and press it flat on top.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes or more before cutting.

DATE AND NUT BARS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, pour boiling water over dates, and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 10x10 inch baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the dates, including any water; mix well. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda; stir into the date mixture. Then stir in the nuts.
• Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared 10x10 inch pan, and bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, cut into bars, and roll each bar in confectioners' sugar.

WHOLE WHEAT DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Add dates, nuts, and vanilla.
• Combine flour and baking powder and stir into date mixture until evenly blended.
• Pour into a well oiled 8 or 9 inch square pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned on top. Cool in the pan. Cut into squares or bars to serve. Makes 16 (2-inch) squares, or 32 bars, 2 x 1 inches.
• NOTE: To double, use 3 eggs, double remaining ingredients, and bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
• To cut sticky dried dates, dip scissors or knife in flour first.
• Nikki & David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine.

DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Butter and line with parchment a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
• Beat butter in medium bowl.
• Gradually add sugar and beat until combined (mixture will appear grainy).
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir in milk and vanilla.
• Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in small bowl.
• Add to butter mixture and stir until just blended.
• Mix dates and walnuts gently into batter.
• Transfer batter to pan; smooth top.
• Bake until top is brown and tester comes out clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 35 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes.
• Run knife around edge of pan to loosen.
• Reverse carefully onto cookie sheet.
• Peel off parchment.
• Invert again.
• Cool. Cut into bars.
• Sift icing sugar over.

DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar and water. Cook, stirring frequently, until thick. Stir in nuts if desired. , Meanwhile, in a bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add water and mix lightly. Press half into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread date mixture on top. Cover with remaining oat mixture; pat lightly. , Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned.