Dave’s Date Bars

There are date bars and there are date bars. Somehow I make these only at Christmas (why?) and they’re always my husband’s favorite. Based on an old Marion Cunningham recipe, this version is larger and has toasted pecans for crunch and grins. There are no eggs in the recipe, so if you know someone with an egg allergy, this – or a variation – is a good cookie for them. Because there’s only 1 cup flour, you can also easily switch these date bars up for a gluten-free bar, using almond flour or a cup-to-cup blend in place of the all-purpose flour. Note that the brown sugar is added at two different times.

Makes one (9”x13”) pan of bar cookies

Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped pitted dates (can chop in food processor with 1 tablespoon flour/watch for pits)
1 ½ cups brown sugar, divided
1 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks or 8 ounces or 1 cup salted butter) melted and cooled
1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Instructions

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 degrees F. Get out a 9”x13” baking pan. (No need to grease it.)
COOK THE DATES: Combine the chopped dates, ½ cup of the brown sugar, and the water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium flame for about 5 minutes or until mixture boils and is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Set aside to cool.
MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and mix well.
ADD HALF OF THE FLOUR MIXTURE TO THE PAN (you'll use the other half for a top or third layer) and use a piece of plastic wrap or the back of a spoon to spread it in an even layer.
SPOON THE DATE FILLING in dollops on top of the flour mixture and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.
STIR THE PECANS into the remaining flour mixture and sprinkle it evenly on top of the date mixture. It’s ok if it doesn’t cover all of the dates; just do your best to sprinkle it evenly.
BAKE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES or until edges and corners are crispy-brown and the center is just set. Set on a rack to cool before cutting into squares. To make the later cutting easier, I run a small sharp knife around the edges of the pan when it first comes out of the oven.
Store for 3-4 days in a tightly covered container, placing waxed paper between the layers of cookies. Freeze for up to 2 months, thawing overnight on the counter before serving.

Notes

For a special dessert, make a date bar sundae. Place a 3"x3" bar in the bottom of a small bowl, top with ice cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon.