Dang Fine Date Bar

[Janet H]

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped pitted dates (about 14 ounces)
3/4 cup water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup maple syrup
grated lemon rind from 1 lemon

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
9 x 13 pan, greased.

oven 400

Prep filling:
Combine dates, water, lemon juice and maple syrup in saucepan and cook for about 10 mins till they have formed a paste. Add lemon rind. set aside and cool.

Make crust:
Cream sugar and butter at medium speed until smooth. Add flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix until crumbly. Press 2/3 rds of flour mixture into bottom of a baking pan coated with cooking spray. Spread date mixture over flour mixture. Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Hint: You can chop the dates in a food processor and then use sticky bowl to make the crust.

YUM!

 

[LPBeier]

Dear Janet,
My apologies. I am tired, constantly coughing and stiflingly hot (even at 9:30 pm). When I saw the title of your thread, specially with the "dang" (and I didn't know who the OP was), I was envisioning a bar where you go to find a date and thought it must be a troll or spam. I was very relieved to see a recipe for one of my favourite dessert items of all time. I will be trying this soon....at home with my husband

 

[Janet H]

Hope you feel better! These are easy to make and would be extra wonderful with a side or vanilla ice cream (for that special date).

The title was given by my sweetie who swears that he doesn't like date bars and only ate one to be polite this was his pronouncement; "dang fine... for a date bar"

 

[missM]

I had an auntie/mother who made the best date loaf ever, but she didn't pass on the recipe. However.... I have taken to using a packet cake mix with added chopped dates and a cup of walnuts and it is super.... Greens brand. Not as good as auntie/mother's, but close

 

[Linux]

Sounds lovely. I bet that maple syrup binds it all so unctuously.

 

[forty_caliber]

Looks wonderful. I put this one in MacGourmet for reference.

.40

 

[mollyanne]

Many moons ago, Betty Crocker used to have a box mix of Date Bars but must have discontinued them. I have been looking for them ever since. Your picture looks exactly like them! Thank you thank you thank you

 

[LPBeier]

I haven't had a chance to post this but I made these Friday for a meeting I was having for a catering event coming up. Janet, you are right "Dang Fine Date Bars" is right! They were such a hit everyone forgot about diets and had seconds.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Janet H]

I'm so glad they turned out.

I am a major coconut fan and have been toying with the idea of adding coconut to the LOWER crust next time I make these. It would probably burn in the upper crust but toast nicely sitting on the bottom of the pan... I'll let you know how it works out.

 

[forty_caliber]

I finally had a chance to make these today. WOW! They are fantastic. I don't have a food processor so I minced the dates with a chef's knife.

Everyone really enjoyed them...even the finicky teenager. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

.40

 

[justplainbill]

Shucks, I thought you were talking about a place to meet a hotsy totsy

 

[Barbara L]

Dear Janet,
My apologies. I am tired, constantly coughing and stiflingly hot (even at 9:30 pm). When I saw the title of your thread, specially with the "dang" (and I didn't know who the OP was), I was envisioning a bar where you go to find a date and thought it must be a troll or spam. I was very relieved to see a recipe for one of my favourite dessert items of all time. I will be trying this soon....at home with my husband

I thought the same thing when I saw the title!

These sound good Janet, but since I don't like dates, I would have to substitute raisins for the dates. Someday I might get daring and try dates again, but it didn't work the last time I tried.

Barbara