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Date-Pecan Bars

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    These chewy, sweet bars are a great alternative to fruitcake -- but they don't contain any alcohol, making them a kid-friendly holiday treat.
    Everyday Food, December 2003
    • Prep Time 30 minutes
    • Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
    • Yield Makes 18
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    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan, room temperature
    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
    • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3/4 cup chopped pitted dates
    • 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan; place it in the pan, then butter the paper.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in dates and nuts.
    3. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges to loosen, then cut it into bars using a serrated knife. To cut the baked dough into 18 bars, make 3 cuts horizontally and 6 cuts vertically.

    Variations

    You can substitute an equal amount of walnuts for the pecans. If you'd prefer another dried fruit, try using raisins. If you use a dark-colored baking pan to bake these bars, you need to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

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