Food for the Gods Recipe

Recipe adapted from Baking 101 by Junjun De Guzman & Adoree Uy

Baking pan used: 42 cm X 29 cm  (approx. 16.5inches X 11.4 inches)

Yields about 60 bars

Ingredients

   1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

   ¼ tsp. salt

   1 tsp. baking powder

   1 cup (145 g)pitted dates, chopped

   3/4 cup (170 g ) margarine, room temperature OR 100 g margarine, room temp. and 60 g oil

   1 cup minus about 5 tbsp (150 g ) brown sugar

   2/3 cup minus about 6 tbsp (70g) white sugar

   2 eggs

   1 tbsp. honey

   ½ tsp. vanilla extract

   1 cup (115 g ) walnuts, coarsely chopped

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Line pan (sides and bottom) with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Sift the all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder together. Divide this mixture into two. Use one-half to dredge the chopped dates. Use fingers to separate the chopped dates.

3. In a larger bowl, beat butter and oil, if using, together(abt 1.5 minutes, medium speed). Add sugar. Cream butter and sugar( (about 2 minutes, medium speed). Add one egg. Mix. Add another egg and mix until well-blended. Add in the honey and vanilla extract.

4. Fold flour into the batter preferably in 2 batches. Lastly, fold dredged dates and walnuts.

5. Pour batter to the prepared pan (preferably into four parts) and spread evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes when using 42cm X 29cm pan . Done when toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The center is still soft when slightly touched.

6. Take out from the oven and leave in the pan for about 10 minutes. Take out from the pan. Let cool. Slice (and share).

Cooling

 

Notes:
1. Store-bought dates have honey added into them. I lessened the amount of sugar and butter/margarine stated in the original recipe.
2. Use flour to help you chop dates:  1) dates won't clump too much and 2) dates won't stick to the knife like crazy. 

3. Original recipe uses 9" X 13" rectangular pans OR  2 - 8" square pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

4.Used plastic dough scraper to cut. 

5. Don't scrimp on parchment paper. Use more for easy transfer/less mess.

6. According to the authors of the original recipe, creaming butter/sugar = light and fluffy food for the gods,  melted butter = dense, moist and chewy food for the gods. I was too lazy to melt the margarine. For my first two batches, I didn't have enough margarine so I substitue some with oil. They worked so well that on my third batch, did the same thing.

Link to show I presented them:

http://tsinoyingermany.blogspot.com/2011/12/food-for-gods-date-and-walnut-bars.html