Esteemed Chef Maryann Esposito of Ciao Italia! has the perfect Date Nut Bar recipe!
They are nice and chewy like they are supposed to be, so delicious and just perfect! Not hard to make either!
She writes: “No holiday visit to Mom’s was ever complete without her sending me home with a box of her famous Date Nut Bars. Of all her confections, this was the one that everyone craved the most!”
I am so glad I tried these! These are just how I like date nut bars… uncomplicated, really chewy and really good!
If you are a date lover, you have to make this easy recipe.
My preference is to roughly hand chop the dates rather than buy them diced.
Maryann’s recipe calls for a 10-inch square pan. I changed it to a 9-inch square pan and adjusted the time.
I really love dates, and I love them in these Date Nut Bars by one of my favorite chefs.
Enjoy.
Date Nut Bars-Chef Maryann Esposito
Equipment
- Flour Sifter
Ingredients
- 2 cups dates diced
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour for coating the dates and walnuts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar for dusting the tops of the bars
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Put the 1½ tablespoons of flour into a small bowl. Toss in the dates and walnuts and coat them well with the flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan for easy lifting later. Use a non-stick baking spray to spray the bottom and sides of the foil. Alternatively, you can butter the foil on the bottom and up the sides of the pan, then dust it with flour. Set aside.
- Into a small bowl, sift the ½ cup of flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla extract until blended.
- Fold in the flour mixture and then fold in the coated dates and walnuts.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350° for 15-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and firm to the touch.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the edges of the aluminum foil and place the date nut bars onto a board to cut into squares. Dust the tops of the bars with confectioner's sugar.
- Store the dates covered at room temperature.