A Breakfast Bar Or Cookie

Packed with goodness! This was my choice for an energy bar in the 60’s, BUT you will have to eat two to get the calorie count of most energy bars of today. I was hooked the first time I made this Date Nut Bar!

Have you heard of Mineral King? Beautiful place chosen by Disney to develop a resort in 1965. This resort project fell through. Kathryn and I planned a day hike in Mineral King about this time. This bar never tasted so good.

Recipe

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until lightly brown

2 Cups chopped dates

1 Cup water

1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

1 and 1/4 Cup oatmeal

1 and 1/4 Cup all purpose flour

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Teaspoon baking soda

1/2 Scant teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chopping the dates. Here some of the dates were precut. Packaged this way. These are coated with sugar to keep them from sticking together. Also, are dates that were pitted and I cut them with kitchen scissors. I have more success with scissors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the water to the dates and cook over medium heat until bubbling. Cook 1-2 minutes then remove from heat. It will continue to thicken. Let cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooling cooked dates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add all the dry ingredients together and mix. Cut butter into dry ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After butter is cut into dry ingredients dry ingredients are crumbly. I use 10 minute oats but 1 minute oats will work too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour 1/2 of the dry ingredient mixture into a buttered 12″ by 9″ oblong baking dish. Press firmly into place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the nuts to the cooled date mixture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dot date mixture over the pressed mixture. Gently spread with the back of a spoon until edges meet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour remaining dry ingredients over the date filling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smooth top layer with the back of a spoon. Put into preheated oven and bake.

 

 

 

 

 

So good. Can’t eat them all? These freeze well.