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In the Oven: Date Squares

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Next, we’re continuing with another one of the twelve days of cookies: Date Squares. Posting date is December 7 – let’s bake!

Date Squares
 
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Yield: about 24 bars
Ingredients
For the Date Filling
  • 1 pound (455 g) dried pitted dates, chopped into very small pieces
  • 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed light brown sugar

For the Crumb Mixture
  • 1½ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ cups (120 g) quick-cooking oats
  • 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, cool but not cold, cut into cubes, plus more for the pan
  • 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
Instructions
Make the Date Filling
  1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the dates, brown sugar, and 1 cup (240 ml) water. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the dates are soft and have absorbed most of the water, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make the Crumb Mixture
  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the oats.
  2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low speed until crumbly.

Assemble the Bars
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper so that it overhangs about 1 inch (2.5 cm) on the long sides of the pan, and butter the parchment.
  2. Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the date mixture in an even layer over the crumb mixture. Finally, sprinkle the remaining half of the crumb mixture over the date layer to cover. Using the palm of your hand (lightly greased if you like), very gently press the crumb mixture into the dates so it will adhere.
  3. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until the crumb turns golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and let cool completely. Use a paring knife to release the sides of the bars from the pan, pull up on the parchment to remove them, then cut and serve.
Notes
The squares can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Excerpted from Baked Occasions: Desserts for Leisure Activities, Holidays, and Informal Celebrations, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2014 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.  Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

In the Oven: Bale Bars

by 12 Comments

Posting date is February 2!

Yield: 24 bars

1 1⁄2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1⁄3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1⁄3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, divided
8 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
3⁄4 cup crunchy peanut butter (see page 26)
3⁄4 cup (about 4 ounces) salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 cups (about 81⁄2 ounces) salted thin pretzel sticks, crushed into small pieces

Lightly spray a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to overhang on two sides.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, cream, and 1⁄2 teaspoon fleur de sel. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a low boil for about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted. Add the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon fleur de sel, remaining 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla, and the peanut butter and stir until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform.

Place the peanuts and pretzels in a large bowl and use your hands to toss together until mixed well. Pour the white chocolate mixture over the peanut mixture and stir to coat all of the pieces. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, then, using lightly oiled hands, press the mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate until hard, about 90 minutes.

Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and cut them into squares. Bars can be served at room temperature, though we like them best directly from the refrigerator (or even the freezer). The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

In the Oven: Good Morning Sunshine Bars

by 6 Comments

Hello, sunshine…. posting date is November 10!

Good Morning Sunshine Bars
Yield: 24 bars

6 cups crunchy, plain cereal (Rice Chex or something similar works best)
1 1⁄4 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup smooth peanut butter (see page 26)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
6 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, chopped

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13- inch baking pan. Line the pan with parch- ment paper so that the paper overhangs the pan on two sides. Butter the parchment.

Place the cereal and peanuts in a large bowl and use your hands to toss together until mixed well.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil for one full minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until the mixture is combined.

Pour the sugar mixture over the cereal mixture and use a spoon or well-greased hands (be careful as the liquid may still be very hot) to toss until the cereal is completely coated with the sugar mixture.

Turn the mixture out into the prepared pan. Grease your hands and press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, being careful not to crush the cereal. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature (if you wish to speed this process, you may place the entire pan in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes).

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler. Use a spoon or piping bag to decorate the tops of the bars in a stripe or zigzag pattern. Allow the chocolate to set.

Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang, cut them into approximately 3-by-11⁄2-inch rectangles (i.e., candy bars).

The bars can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. If the weather is hot and humid, you might want to keep them in the refrigerator instead.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.