• Blog
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Tips & Tools
  • International LOVE
  • Love Notes
  • Shop
  • Powered by MSI Media Group

Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Date bars!

December 18, 2011 by Mary Frances 6 Comments

If you like dates, you will love this little bar cookie. It’s easy to make and nice to have in your repertoire. Cut your bars skinny. My mother used to say, “Make your cookies on the small side, because your guests and family will want to sample all of them and you just shouldn’t eat so much!”

Date bars on a holiday plate.

DATE BARS
Makes 24 bars

2 large eggs
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 tbs. melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
More sifted powdered sugar to roll the bars in

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8” or 9” square pan. I use a 9” glass Pyrex pan.

Beat 2 eggs a long time until very light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and melted butter.

Sift together the cake flour, salt and baking powder and add gradually to egg mixture on a low speed. Then add the vanilla, dates and nuts. Stir well. Pour evenly into your prepared pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes, until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely. Cut into 24 bars and roll each one in powdered sugar. Store in wax paper lined tin. Make sure the tin closes tight!

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: bar cookies, Christmas cookies, confectioners sugar, date bars, dates, dessert, holiday cookies, powdered sugar, walnuts

Cookie time!

December 15, 2011 by Mary Frances 12 Comments

So my boys definitely think this is “the most wonderful time of the year” because I bake at least 5 different kinds of Christmas cookies. I’ve got it down pat now. It takes me two days. Three kinds in one day and then the two harder batches – the family pecan crisps and the sugar cookies – on the other day.

Most are my Mom’s recipes, this one included with a really stupid name. But the cookies are really, really good. Okay, so the recipe calls for processed things, usually a no-no for me, but at Christmas, I give in. Here goes.

Date bars with chocolate and coconut on a white plate.

HELLO DOLLY SQUARES (I told you the name was lame)
Makes 40 bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (about 1 1/2 packs, grind in food processor)
1 – 14 oz. can of Eagle Brand or Magnolia sweetened condensed milk
1 – 6 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 – 3 1/2 oz. can of flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the stick of butter in a 13” x 9” glass Pyrex pan, and put in the oven. Watch it so that the butter just melts and doesn’t boil. Remove pan with the melted butter from oven and swirl around, up the sides of the pan 1/2 inch, and set on a level surface. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly all over the bottom surface. Pour the Eagle Brand milk evenly all over the crumbs. Top evenly with the coconut, chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Press down gently on the top surface.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Store in a wax paper lined tin at room temperature.

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: bar cookies, Christmas cookies, coconut, easy cookies, graham crackers, Hello Dolly Squares, pecans, sweetened condensed milk

Join 32k+ followers!


Never miss out on a recipe!

Subscribe to receive new posts via email:

Mary Frances

Mary Frances

Spread love through cooking.

Summer Favorites

Easy Cheesy Sautéed Squash The Best Potato Salad Super Quick Chicken and Summer Vegetables Stir-fry Chimichurri-ed Wilted Endives with Walnuts Chilled Curried Zucchini Soup with Apple Garnish Best Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp to make now!

Categories

  • Appetizers
  • Breakfast
  • Brunch
  • Cocktails
  • Contest
  • Cookies
  • Cookware and tools
  • Desserts
  • Dinner
  • Events
  • First Course
  • Fish
  • Food Responsibility
  • Guest Post
  • Lunch
  • Meat
  • Pasta
  • Poultry
  • Products for sale
  • Salads
  • Sauces
  • Sides
  • Soups
  • Tea time
  • Travel
  • Vegetables

Pages

Blog
About
Recipes
Tips and Tools
International Love
Love Notes
Shop
Mary's secret ingredients

Blogs We Love

  • 1840 Farm
  • A Pug in the Kitchen
  • Cottage Grove House
  • Food, Photography & France
  • Food52
  • From the Bartolini Kitchens
  • Go Bake Yourself
  • Hotly Spiced
  • Jovina Cooks Italian
  • Lavender and Lime
  • Orgasmic Chef
  • Smitten Kitchen
  • Sophie's Foodie Files
  • Steven’s Wine and Food Pairings
  • That Skinny Chick Can Bake
  • The Pioneer Woman
  • The Squishy Monster
  • Tips on Food and Drinks
  • Yummy Chunklet
  • LOVE - the secret ingredient


  • GET IN TOUCH
  • E mary@lovethesecretingredient.com

· All Rights Reserved ·© 2016 Love- the secret ingredient. All rights reserved. Disclaimer | Privacy Policy Disclosure Policy Terms & Conditions