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In addition to being delicious, dates are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. They are also high in fiber, which has many benefits for gut health and weight management.
We’re closing out October with a sweet treat, as is fitting for Halloween week. This recipe for Date Nut Bars was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She began sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has since become a company tradition.
“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.”
– Erma Bombeck
Ingredients
- Base
- 6 oz (1½ sticks) butter (unsalted is best)
- 3 cups chopped dates (you can use a mixture of Medjool and Deglet Noor dates. Medjools are larger, wrinkled, soft, and sticky; Deglet Noors are smaller, shiny and firm)
- 1⅓ cups light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1½ cup chopped walnuts
- Topping
- ½ cup quick oats
- ¼ cup flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
- 2 Tbsp softened butter (if you use 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, the topping is more like streusel)
Instructions
- Base
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9” × 13” baking pan. (If you use a 9” × 12” metal pan with squared corners instead, all the bars will be the same shape.) Combine dates, brown sugar, and extracts. Melt butter and cool slightly. Combine with date mixture and let stand 15 minutes.
- Sift flour, salt, baking powder, and cloves together. Stir cream into date mixture, then combine thoroughly with flour mixture. Add walnuts. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
- Topping
- Prepare topping by mixing ingredients with your hands until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over batter in pan. Bake 20–25 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overcook. Cool, then cut into bars.