betty bakes

if you've read this blog before, it's pretty clear that i love food and i love to cook. one thing i'm not that great at, however, is baking. the measurements are exact, the mixing techniques require patience and the work to make a small baked good is not always worth the effort to me. today, though, i decided to try a recipe that i've been thinking about since i ate an oatmeal date bar at my favorite co-op, , The Wedge. they have an incredible bakery and deli so i figured with the same high-quality ingredients i could create my own.

i went to work finding a recipe online that would be simple, and i found this one. i used gluten-free flour for my own preference, and made sure to use organic dates. personally i like the pitted Deglett dates bates, but Medjool would work fine also.

Deglett dates, chopped

one thing the recipe doesn't state is how long to cook the dates, sugar and water (to make the filling). i let mine simmer for a good long while (40 minutes?) so everything would be nice and thick and mushy. also, to ensure that your crust is solid (mine was too dry), measure your butter exactly and be sure that it is soft when you add it to the dry mix.

the finished product: not exactly as i'd hoped but
still extremely tasty!! (next time: more butter)

the filling sits between the 2 layers of crust and when cut into 1-inch squares, these little bars make a great snack!! enjoy and be healthy.