Anyone have an easy date bar recipe? I have a load of dates to cook up.
Classic Date Bars
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8-inch metal baking pan. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to simmer in medium saucepan. Add dates; simmer until very soft and thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.
Combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in large bowl; stir to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until moist clumps form. Press half of oat mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread date mixture over. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture; press gently to adhere. Bake until brown at edges and golden brown and set in center, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into bars and serve.
I often use chopped Dates, and chopped dried Figs either with raisins, or in place of raisins in many recipes that call for raisins.
I haven’t found my mother’s date bar recipe to post for you yet, but I found this wonderful recipe for a date nut roll. A very dear lady I worked with in about 1977 used to always bring this to the pot luck lunches that we held once a month where we worked. This cake was always gone before lunch even started as we would all start tasting the fare during our morning coffee breaks. When I was promoted and moved to a different work location I asked her for her recipe, so I have continued to enjoy it in the many years since we worked together. I am sure she would be happy for me to share her recipe with all of you!
Ruth Busacker’s Date Nut Roll
1 c pitted whole dates, chopped
1 c water
¼ c granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup al purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground allspice
¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
powdered sugar
1 recipe Cream cheese filling (see below)
In a small saucepan, combine dates, water and the ¼ c sugar and 1/8 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat stirring constantly while the sugar melts completely and the mixture thickens (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs at high speed with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the ½ c sugar. In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, ½ tsp salt, and allspice. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and then fold in the dates.
Spread in a well greased and floured 15 X 10 X 1” jelly roll pan. Top with walnuts or pecans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
Turn out onto a towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Starting at the narrow end roll up the cake and the towel together and let cool. Unroll the cake and towel and spread with the cream cheese filling (recipe below). Reroll the cake with the filing and chill. For a beautiful presentation sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving!
Cream Cheese Filling:
6-8 ounces of softened cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
½ tsp. vanilla
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Then fold in powdered sugar until blended. Now the filling is ready to be spread on the cake.