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-AND-WALNUT BARS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325, and line a 13-by-18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until well mixed and no lumps remain. Tip about 1/2 cup of the flour mixture into a medium bowl; add the dates, and toss well to coat, breaking up the dates as you go. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with both sugars just until smoothly incorporated, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the eggs in 3 batches, mixing well each time and scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle between additions.
• Add the flour mixture and date mixture, and mix gently on low just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a spatula to fold in the walnuts. Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined sheet pan, and use an offset spatula to spread it in an even layer, pushing it into the edges and corners and smoothing the surface. Bake until brown and set, about 45 minutes.
• Cool completely in the pan, then remove and cut into squares. Serve right away, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

OLD-FASHIONED DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Mix together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; and gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• Fold in the dates and nuts.
• Spread the batter evenly in a greased 13x9 baking pan and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes or until golden.
• Cool in pan.
• Cut into approximately 24 bars.

SARAH'S POWDERED DATE BARS

Steps:

• Stir brown sugar and eggs into the melted butter, mixing well.
• Blend in flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the nuts and dates.
• Spread in buttered 8x8 inch pan.
• Bake for 20 min in a 350 degree oven.
• While hot cut into squares and carefully remove from pan.
• When they cool, roll in powdered sugar.

BEST DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar and water. Cook, stirring frequently, until very thick. Stir in walnuts, if desired; cool. , Sift the flour, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl; add oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water over mixture; stir lightly. Pat half into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Spread with date mixture; cover with remaining oat mixture and pat lightly. , Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 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!

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.