Date-filled Bars

I really should dedicate this month to Food Blogging Events and all involved in this Community. So here’s to you all.

I have been sending off most of my entries to events! When I started my blog, I really did not have much of a plan about the “how, what and when” of my posts. I decided to complete my first month of posting by being a part of food events.

Dates were to be the fruit for the month at AFAM. I had a box of seedless dates in the fridge and decided to try out a recipe from my “Waiting To Be Tried Out” collection.

These bars look a bit complicated to make but really are not. The process can be split up over two or three days, if need be. I made the filling the first day, the dough the next and did the actual putting together and baking on the third day!!

These bars have a soft filling and the real flavour comes through only the day after they are made.

Date-filled Bars

I really should dedicate this month to Food Blogging Events and all involved in this Community. So here's to you all.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Snack

Cuisine global vegetarian

Servings 3 dozen

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup butter , softened
• 1/2 packed sugar loosely granulated cup
• 1/2 packed jaggery brown sugar loosely powdered / cup
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ toasted (optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the filling:

• 2 cups dates seedless , lightly packeds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsps lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon peel grated

Instructions

 

• For the Dough : Using an electric mixer (or by hand), beat the butter, jaggery and sugar till creamy. In a separate bowl, stir together both the flours, wheat germ, baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter-sugar mixture blending well. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate till next day at least 1 hour).
• For the Filling : Chop the dates and walnuts finely in a food processor. It should be crumbly in texture. Put in a pan with the sugar, water, lemon juice and peel and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, till thick. This should take about 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Divide into 6 portions.
• Putting it all together : Divide the dough into 2 portions. Work with one and keep the other in the fridge. Roll out the dough, using flour to prevent it from sticking, into a rectangle of about 7 by 12 inches. (This is what my rectangle measured.) Use a ruler to neaten the sides of the rectangle. Cut this rectangle into 3 strips widthwise. In the centre of each strip spread the date filling lengthwise. Using a spatula or knife fold the sides over the filling so they overlap slightly. Press down lightly. Repeat this with the second portion of dough.
• Now you would have 6 long tubular rolls with date filling. Cut each roll into 2 halves. Now there would be 12 shorter rolls. Place these, joined sided facing down, on a greased sheet and bake at 190 C/ 375 F for about 20 minutes or till they brown. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Then cut each bar in to 3 or 4 pieces. I cut them into 3. Allow to cool completely and store.

Notes

This recipe would give you 36 or 48 bars, depending on how you cut them. I am sending this over to Chandrika at Akshayapatra for November’s AFAM-Dates