Maple-Date Bars
Dates are definitely all the rage right now in terms of foodie trends. Last week Christine Muhlke from the New York Times even followed the date trend all the way to California. She explored a variety of dates from the khadwari to the cire as well as today's subject matter, the Medjool Date. The Medjool is known for its buttery, sweet flavor and chewy texture.
Dates are considered the oldest cultivated fruit in the world. In fact, fossils show date palms dating back 50 million years. It's a wonder that it took us this long to catch on to them.
I'm not sure these should even be in my Splurge of the Week column because they really aren't all that fatty. The dates and the maple syrup make up much of the sweetness and oats are used to fulfill half of the flour content. When you spread the flour mixture onto the bottom of the pan, it will still be sort of crumbly. So don't worry, you haven't left out any ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
| 1 3/4 cups | finely chopped pitted dates |
| 3/4 cup | water |
| 1/3 cup | maple syrup |
| 1 tsp | grated lemon rind |
| 2/3 cup | sugar |
| 1/2 cup | butter, softened |
| 1 cup | all-purpose flour |
| 1 cup | regular oats |
| 1/4 tsp | baking soda |
| 1/4 tsp | salt |
PREPARATION:
Method
- Heat a heavy pot up to medium high heat and add in dates and maple syrup. Bring to a soft boil and stir constantly for about 12 minutes, until all the water cooks off. Stir in the lemon rind.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Add softened butter to a standing mixer or use a hand mixer and add in sugar. Beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine well.
- In a greased 9 x 13 inch pan, spread 2 cups of the butter mixture evenly. Top with date mixture. Sprinkle remaining butter mixture on top and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
Recipe: Cooking Light
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