I am looking for a older recipe from "Dromedary Dates" for date bars. It had a soft bottom crust, the date filling, and a soft crumbly top layer. It did not have oatmeal in this recipe. Thankyou

-- Margaret Jensen (gjensenii@earthlink.net), December 13, 2001

Answers

I have a recipe for Date Nut Bars that are chewy and you roll them in confectionary sugar. Is this the one you are looking for?

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), December 13, 2001.

FIVE STAR Date Bars This is the best recipe for date bars that I have found and have made them for Christmas this year...definitely tried and true and VERY GOOD!!

Two crunchy oatmeal layers with a gooey date filling in between. Makes LOTS depending on size you cut bars. 2-1/2 cups dates, pitted and chopped (I used two packs of dromedary chopped dates (2 cups). 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup water

3 cups rolled oats 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup shortening (I used margarine)

Directions 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13X9 or 11X15 inch baking pan. 2 To make filling: In a small saucepan, combine dates, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 3 To make the crust: Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening (I used margarine)until mixture becomes crumbly. 4 Press half of crust evenly into baking pan. Spread date mixture over the top. Crumble remaining crust mixture over the top of date mixture. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on wire racks before cutting into bars.

Special Note: I line my pan with parchment paper to bake these cookies so that I can lift bars out to cut easier and cleaner...I do this with most bar cookies.

ENJOY, Cookie

-- Cookie (seacookee@aol.com), December 13, 2001.

Magic Fill Date Bars (Does this sound like it?)

4 eggs

2 c. granulated sugar 2 c. Pillsbury's Best all-purpose plain flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. McCormick's vanilla

2 c. Dromedary chopped dates

2 c. coarsely chopped pecans

1 c. confectioners' sugar

Sift 1 cup flour. Dust dates and pecans with flour and set aside. Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Add granulated sugar gradually. Add vanilla. Sift plain flour and baking powder together and add. Fold in dates and pecans by hand. Spread into greased 16 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 1 inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees. After 20 minutes, "crack" top crust of the bars with a large spoon. Continue baking for about 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cut while still hot. Dust with confectioners' sugar. When completely cool, store in tightly closed container. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Or is this more like what you have in mind?

DATE NUT BARS

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoons salt

2 Cups sugar

2/3 cup butter

3 eggs

1/2lb ground walnuts

1 lemon - juice and zest

First, make filling:

2 cups dates, cut fine. 1 cup hot water,

1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Cook together on low heat, and cool.

Then Crust: Sift together dry ingredients. Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, and dry ingredients and walnuts. Add lemon juice to moisten. Spread on a cookie sheet and up the sides. Over the years, we have gotten used to Mom's way. She uses a 9X13 cake pan. this makes fewer bars, but they are thicker. and she cuts them into 1 x1 pieces.

Fill with filling:

Top with Crumb Topping: 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 butter. Sprinkle on top and bake. 375 degrees for 35-40 min As different ovens cook differently, Watch as the crust can burn, if oven is hot, cook at 350. When cool, sprinkle liberally with confectionery sugar and cut in bars.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), December 14, 2001.