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Date Nut Bars

Recipe courtesy of Ciao Italia
date-nut

Enjoy this date nut bars recipe - a treasured Italian dessert from Mary Ann Esposito's mother. Recipe Courtesy of "Ciao Italia Family Classics" - St. Martin's Press.

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Yield: 24 bars

Course:
Cuisine:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2-teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4-teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/2-cup sugar
  • 1-tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups diced dates (10 ounces)
  • 1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
  • Confectioner’s sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Butter a 10-inch square pan and dust with flour or line the pan with aluminum foil and butter it. Set aside.
  3. Sift 1/2 cup of the flour with the baking powder and salt into a bowl.
  4. In another bowl beat the eggs until they are foamy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla beating until well blended. Fold in the flour mixture.
  5. In a small bowl toss the dates and nuts with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of the four. This method will prevent the dates and nuts from sinking to the bottom of the pan while baking.
  6. Fold the date mixture into the batter.
  7. Spread batter evenly in the pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and firm to the touch. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
  8. Cut into squares and sprinkle the tops with confectioner’s sugar.

Tips/Techniques

These can be made ahead and frozen without the confectioners sugar for up to 3 months.
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