Date Bars – Our Family’s Favorite Holiday Baked Treat

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Baked, baking, Cooking, date bars, dates, Food, holiday baking, nuts, recipe

  
We all have those time tested, family recipes that everyone loves. These date bars are one our family’s favorite sweet treats! They are crunchy on the outside and sweet gooeyness on the inside! They’re sweet with out being too sweet and they have a great texture to them with the added crunch of nuts.

I’m not sure where she got it, but I got this recipe from my mother-in-law. She is famous for her date bars! All the family members request them and grumble when she hasn’t made any in a while. My husband wanted to hand some out to his customers and co-workers, so we decided to take things into our own hands and make them ourselves.

With the help of my trusty KitchenAid mixer, these were a breeze to make. I will say that it is important to use the right pan. The first batch, I used my largest Pyrex lasagna pan and it wasn’t big enough. While the bars still tasted good, they were too thick and came out very gooey and didn’t have the nice crunch on the outside. The next batch I baked in my larger, but more shallow Pampered Chef Large stoneware bar pan and these turned out perfect! My mother-in-law says she  usually cooks hers successfully in a metal pan.

Date Bars

3 eggs

1 – 16 oz package of light brown sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 cups chopped nuts (I prefer pecans over walnuts)

1 cup chopped dates (You can find these in the grocery store near the raisins)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs slightly. Add brown sugar & vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Combine flour, salt and baking soda and then add to egg/sugar mixture and mix well. Add nuts & dates and mix well. Spread in a heavily greased oblong pan approximately 11″ x 15″. Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!!

Thanksgiving Tip #15 – Pie? Chocolate? Yes, Please!!!

Tags

chocolate chip, Cooking, dessert, Food, nuts, Pie, recipe, Thanksgiving

  Do you like pie? Do you like chocolate? Do you like chocolate chip cookies? Look no further! I have the pie recipe for you! Pie seems to be the dessert of choice for Thanksgiving, but I’m one of those odd birds that doesn’t care for pumpkin pie. This is my kind of pie though! You get the wonderful flakyness of a pie shell with a filling that tastes like the best chocolate chip cookie. Yummmm!

Hopefully I don’t get disowned for sharing this recipe! I’m not sure exactly where it originated, but when I first married my husband he told me that I HAD to learn to make this pie. My mother-in-law actually gave me several recipes for my husband’s favorite foods at my bridal shower. Of course, the recipe for this pie was included!

So from somewhere in Missouri, I bring you…

Platte County Pie

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 – 9 inch unbaked pie shell
• Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add flour and sugar and continue beating two minutes. Add vanilla, butter, nuts & chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell. Bake 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Ahhh! Chocolatey, nutty goodness with pastry shell!!!!