Date Bars

Okay, not bars you take on a date, although, I suppose that would be fine. These are bars that have dates in them. Dates, you know...the fruit of the date palm tree. Most of us don't eat a whole lot of these, but they are quite tasty, and make a delightful shake! Today I found out that they make really good fruit/nut bars. This recipe is courtesy of Cat Cora's Cooking From the Hip book. These whip up really quickly - like super quick, as in, if you are looking for a sweet treat for your kid that is not too terribly bad for them. Or, you know, a treat for yourself. Or yes, for a date night. :)

Mildred's Date Bars (that's Cat Cora's name for them)
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (I was out of walnuts - my favorite - so I used pecans instead)
1 cup finely chopped and PITTED dates (as finely as you can chop them - they are STICKY!!)
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

**Note - you need to pit the dates before you start chopping! I warmed my dates in the microwave for 20 seconds to get them a little loose before I started chopping.

1. Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Beat the sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. Add the flour and baking powder and beat well. Add the nuts and dates and mix thoroughly. Pour into an ungreased 9X13 baking pan. (I admit, I couldn't not grease...I greased my pan.)

3. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown...

LIKE THIS:

4. Let cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes - or put the pan on a wire rack to cool quicker. Cut into bars. I cut mine into 30 bars. Sift the powdered sugar over the top. ENJOY!!!