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.)

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.

CLASSIC DATE BARS

Steps:

• 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.

DATE BARS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped dates and water. Over medium low heat, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring back up to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Thoroughly butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with 2 inch sides and line the base of it with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix together well with a wooden spoon, then drizzle in the melted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Spread 1/2 of this crumb mixture in the base of the pan, then cover with an even layer of the cooled date mixture. Top the date layer with another layer of the crumb mixture and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly, and the edges have begun to caramelize. Cool on a rack, to room temperature. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to release, and cut into 12 squares.

DATE BARS FROM MY CHILDHOOD

Steps:

• Make the filling: Boil dates, sugar, and water until thick, about 5-10 minutes.
• Add 1 TBSP butter, the vanilla, and the walnuts.
• Set aside to cool a bit.
• Prepare the crust: Combine all dry ingredients with the melted butter.
• Press half of the mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 pan.
• Cover with filling mixture and top with remaining half of crust mixture.
• Press lightly.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
• NO LONGER THAN THAT!
• Cut into squares when cool.

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.

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.

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.

DATE OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place dates, water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly., In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt; stir in melted butter and egg white. Press half of the mixture into an 8-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Spread carefully with date mixture; top with remaining oat mixture. , Bake until lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan 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.

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!

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.