Name: Date Nut Bars
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup packed (7 ounces/198 grams) brown sugar; 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 9 ounces (255 grams) pitted dates , chopped (1 1/2 cups); 1 cup pecans , toasted and chopped; 2 large eggs , lightly beaten; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled; 1/2 cup (2 ounces/57 grams) confectioners' sugar

Why This Recipe Works

The classic combination of sweet chewy dates and crunchy pecans provided the flavor base for these Date Nut Bars. To bring out the flavor of the pecans, we made sure to toast them before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. Rolling the bars in confectioners’ sugar while they were still slightly warm helped the sugar stick.

Before You Begin

The dough may look dry at first, but it will come together as it is mixed.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan. Combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in dates, pecans, eggs, and butter until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let bars cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into 12 equal pieces and roll in confectioners’ sugar. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve.