DELICIOUS DATE BARS – Baking and Cake Art Academy

DELICIOUS DATE BARS

This summer has been and is a bit of a challenge- for good reason. Decluttering, purging or whatever you call the process of readying for “demolition kitchen” has actually been liberating while lots of “stuff” as the brilliant comedian, George Carlin called it, was laid to rest in the shredder or hopefully recycled in the blue trash bins. My “stuff” is mostly clipped or printed online recipes that I want to try and has led to filled drawers and files that had to go; there is not enough hours in the day for all that ambition and good intentions.

However, there were a few recipes that I did rescue. Date bars were the very first baked item that I prepared in the temporary abode in which my husband and I currently reside.

I enjoy using dried fruit in savory dishes as well as baked goods and dates have been a favorite- at -first bite when I tasted the date malts in Indio, California and sampled numerous varieties.

I favor luscious Medjool dates, which caramel-like flavor and large size are terrific to use for baking and was delighted to discover an organic version in the Trader Joe’s near me.

As happens to bakers many times, the rediscovered recipe which originated from Betty Crocker and printed when I had searched online in 2021 called for a baking pan that I did not take with me to the temporary residence due to space restrictions.

In addition, the recipe was written using volume measures rather than weights, so after I converted the volume measures to weights, I used factoring to convert ingredients to the needed amounts in order to use my smaller pan. I based the calculations on baking pan surface areas for simplicity.

This math method is not difficult and shows the ratio that compares the size of the pans to each other so that I can use a number (factor) to adjust the amounts of each of the original ingredients to maintain proportions.

I figured the square inches of the pan called for in the original recipe (volume oriented) which is 117 square inches (pan length x pan width).  I then figured the square inches of the square pan that I brought with me which is 81 square inches.

To discover the ratio between the two pans, I divided 81 square inches by the original pan’s 117 square inches which came to .691. This means that the area of my pan is .70 as much as the original. I rounded up to “clean up” the math.

81 square inches (9-inch pan length x pan width) = .691 cleaned up to .70 (factor) 117 square inches (original pan length x width)

The resulting formula adaptation, using the factoring method and a few modifications was perfectly proportioned to my pan and got rave reviews!

I share my formula for date bars with you below and hope that you and yours find them as delicious as everyone who has tasted them!

DATE FILLING:

ORIGINAL CONVERTED TO WEIGHT/X BY FACTOR/FINAL

BARS

DIRECTIONS FOR DATE FILLING:

1.) Using kitchen shears or knife, cut the dates into 4-6 strips (julienne) and cut crosswise into fine dice.

(Note: If you put canola oil on the blades of the scissors when you use them to cut dried fruit, it will make the task easier.)

2.) Cook dates, water or juice and sugar over low heat stirring often until thickened which takes approximately 10 minutes.

3.) Cool for at least 10 minutes.

BARS:

1. Preheat calibrated oven (I use baking tiles) to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare parchment paper to line pan both ways and let overhand for easier cleaning and removal.
3. Grease pan and adhere paper to bottom and sides of the pan.
4. In a medium-large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir the softened butter with sugar into a paste and evenly mixed.
   
5. Combine flours, oats, baking soda and salt in another bowl.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/brown sugar mixture and stir and fold until crumbly-you want clumps not paste.
7. Weigh mixture and add 1//2 weight to papered baking pan. Evenly distribute on pan bottom and press the mixture onto pan bottom to consolidate free from empty spots.
   
8. Spread the date mixture onto the flour mixture using a small offset spatula crating an evenly dispersed filling.
   
9. Sprinkle the top of the filling with the remainder of the crumbly mixture and slightly press down so it is attached to the filling.
   
10. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown-mostly around the edges.
    
11. Cool 5-7 minutes and score and then cut into 16 bars(squares) while still warm.
    
12. Cool in pan. May have to recut once cool. Lift with wide spatula to serve.
    

Note: The bars are best eaten the day of preparation but can be kept for a few days loosely covered. Freeze for longer storage as the topping and bottom soften a bit if covered at room temperature.