An old-time classic bar cookie with chopped dates and walnuts.
Every now and then, I just have to bake something.
Its almost always more about the baking than the eating.
Steve-Anna Stephens
Now thats a sad experience, having your baked goods declined.
A little digging revealed that the recipefirst appearedin the June issue of Good Housekeeping in 1917.
Whats best about these cookies is that while they are undeniably chewy, they arent overwhelmingly sweet.
Theres nothing noticeably Chinese about them, so that remains a mystery.
Some versions of the recipe call for butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and even coconut.
Others switch out the walnuts for pecans and toast the nuts.
If you use a smaller pan, the baking time will be longer.
Combine flour, sugar (not confectioners sugar), baking powder and salt.
Sift with a sifter or fine mesh sieve into a medium sized mixing bowl.
If you dont have a sifter, whisk dry ingredients together well to combine.
check that ingredients are well combinedthe batter will be sticky.
Spread the batter out as thinly as possible into the prepared pan.
Let cool completely, and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch squares.
Simple Tip!
Many recipes call for cutting the squares while still warm.
In my experience, they are much easier to cut after theyve cooled.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, using sifter or sieve, as desired.
