Date Bars From My Childhood Food

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.)

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.

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.

CHEWY DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix and brown sugar.
• Add butter, and eggs.
• Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
• Stir in the dates and nuts.
• Spread into a greased 9 x 13" baking pan.
• Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

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 (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.

BEST EVER DATE BARS

Steps:

• For filling, combine all filling ingredients except for nuts in medium sized saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally til thickened.
• Cool.
• Stir in nuts.
• For base, sift together flour, soda and salt.
• Add oats and sugar.
• Mix well.
• Stir in butter.
• Mix til crumbly.
• Press 2/3 of mixture into greased 8" square pan.
• Spread filling evenly over flour mixture.
• Top with remaining mixture.
• Pack light.
• Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
• Cool completely!(Very important).
• Cut into bars.

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.

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:

• Combine the flour, soda, salt, oats, oleo, and sugar into a crumb-like mixture; spread 1/2 of mixture in a greased 13x9 pan.
• Combine the filling ingredients together, except the vanilla.
• Cook this mixture until thick.
• Cool. Now add the vanilla.
• Spread on crumb crust, put the other 1/2 of the oat mixture on top of the date mixture.
• Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.