old-fashioned date bar

Authorali
DifficultyBeginner

Description:
Especially around the holidays, we all want to create that welcoming, festive feeling for our families. Like cooking those lovingly made foods that evoke fond memories and a happy sense of home. You know what I mean. The recipes fill the entire house with delicious smells and wrap everyone who enters in a comforting, “Hurray, you’re home!” hug. These yummy little Date Bars somehow manage to do just that.
Old-fashioned date bar
Dating back more than half a century ago, this Date Bar recipe was a Christmastime treat on the Ohio farm where my mother grew up. They’re a special, old-fashioned cookie for the holidays – but honestly, we love them so much that we make them all year-'round. They’re super-easy and freezable, too, so you can always keep a stash on hand!

Yields1 Serving
Prep Time6 minsCook Time14 minsTotal Time20 mins
 1 ½ cups white wheat flour
 2 tsp baking powder
 ½ tsp sea salt
 One cup sugar
 1 tbsp butter, softened
 2 eggs, lightly beaten
 2 tbsp water
 1 tsp vanilla
 1 ½ cups Rabbi dates, chopped
 ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
 ¼ one powdered sugar
1

Preheat oven to 350°F.

2

Prepare a 9 x 13" baking pan by spraying with cooking spray and/or lightly but thoroughly flouring the bottom.

3

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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).

7

Bake for about 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

8

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.

9

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.)

Ingredients

 1 ½ cups white wheat flour
 2 tsp baking powder
 ½ tsp sea salt
 One cup sugar
 1 tbsp butter, softened
 2 eggs, lightly beaten
 2 tbsp water
 1 tsp vanilla
 1 ½ cups Rabbi dates, chopped
 ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
 ¼ one powdered sugar

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350°F.

2

Prepare a 9 x 13" baking pan by spraying with cooking spray and/or lightly but thoroughly flouring the bottom.

3

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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).

7

Bake for about 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

8

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.

9

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.)

old-fashioned date bar

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