Not Your Usual Date Bars Food

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 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.

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.

MARZIPAN DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream butter and both sugars together in a large bowl.
• Add egg and vanilla then blend well. Next add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
• Add oats and dates and stir to blend.
• Press half the date mixture into an ungreased 8X8 glass baking dish.
• Roll the almond paste between 2 sheets of wax paper to form an 8X8 square.
• Place the almond paste on top of the date layer in the dish and press into place.
• Put the rest of the date mix on top of the marzipan layer and press it flat on top.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes or more before cutting.

WHOLE WHEAT DATE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Add dates, nuts, and vanilla.
• Combine flour and baking powder and stir into date mixture until evenly blended.
• Pour into a well oiled 8 or 9 inch square pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned on top. Cool in the pan. Cut into squares or bars to serve. Makes 16 (2-inch) squares, or 32 bars, 2 x 1 inches.
• NOTE: To double, use 3 eggs, double remaining ingredients, and bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
• To cut sticky dried dates, dip scissors or knife in flour first.
• Nikki & David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine.

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!