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Makes
12-18 bars (depending on size)
Author Notes
Journeying through baking, I always return to my grandmother's recipe cards for their familiar handwriting and to re-live the flavor memories that were created. I can see why my grandmother and possibly her mother made them, they are rich, sweet, and moist, just as a bar should be. Like I do with many of my grandmother's recipes, I have decreased the sugar (using maple syrup), used whole wheat pastry flour, and swapped out the shortening for butter. I added the cardamom and infused the butter with zest from the honeybell oranges that I have been saving in the freezer. The end result has a gentle but spicy floral aroma and a mysterious flavor not immediately obvious, which was the cardamom. I think that my grandmother would approve of these. They are awesome with coffee or tea. You could also serve these in slices with a scoop of vanilla or coconut ice cream. —testkitchenette
Ingredients
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2
eggs, beaten until foamy
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1/2 cup
maple syrup
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1/2 teaspoon
vanilla
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1
stick unsalted butter, melted
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1 teaspoon
orange zest
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1/2 cup
whole wheat pastry flour
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1/2 teaspoon
ground cardamom
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1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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2 cups
finely chopped dates
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2/3 cup
pistachios (or nut of your choice), toasted and chopped
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
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In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs with the maple syrup and vanilla. Stir in the melted and cooled butter and add the orange zest.
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In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt, dates, nuts, and toss to coat and mix everything.
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Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until flour thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.
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