Damn Good Date Bars
Source: Jen Musty, Batter Bakery
Recipe Type: Desserts | Seasons: Autumn
This recipe, featuring Capay Mills, was demonstrated for CUESA’s Market to Table program on September 21, 2019.
Makes 24 small bars
INGREDIENTS
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup water
1 cup pitted dates, a mix of a dry variety like deglet noor and a semi-dry variety like dayri works best
¼ cup water
Zest of ½ orange and juice of 1 orange
¾ cup sucanat (can substitute for coconut sugar or muscovado sugar)
⅔ cup rye flour
½ cup oat flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 cup oats
½ cup rye flakes
¼ cup and ½ cup chopped walnuts, divided
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Sea salt to top, optional
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a ¼ sheet pan with nonstick spray, oil, or softened coconut oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
Melt coconut oil and water in a small pot until oil is liquified. Set aside.
Combine unrefined sugar, flours, oats, rye flakes, ¼ cup walnuts, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and toss to combine. Add melted coconut oil + water mixture to dry ingredients and toss together with a large spoon or your hands until mixture is crumbly.
Combine dates, water, orange juice, and orange zest in the same pot as the coconut oil mixture and warm over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently so dates do not scorch. Turn heat off and allow dates to absorb all liquid.
Press ⅔ of crust mixture into bottom of sheet pan and press down firmly. Set aside remaining crumble for topping. Bake until crust is light golden and holds together, approximately 15 minutes.
While crust is baking, mash softened dates with a fork into a coarse paste (alternately, pulse in the bowl of a small food processor).
Once bottom crust has been removed from the oven, spread the mashed date mixture evenly over bottom crust.
Add chopped nuts to reserved topping, and combine thoroughly. Sprinkle remaining crumble over date mixture and press down gently. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt if desired. Place it back into oven and bake until crust is golden and dates are bubbly for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting!
Farmers Market Ingredients