Growing up in the heartland and child of Scandanavians, I love sweets. Not the candy bar variety as a rule, but the buttery home made delights that almost floated over the plate. One day I will photograph my Norwegian Grandmother's collection of pasty irons for you--they are works of art. Sadly they remain mostly unused since her passing in 1975. My own Mom made beautiful lefse and taught me, but I rarely make it. During the Christmas holiday season in Montana, a wonderful lefse is available at our local markets from Opheim, a small town near the Canadian border. Since lefse is habit forming and caloric the way I like it, it's a good thing the small packages are very expensive. Lefse making is a technique---the recipe ingredients are simple (like so many things). Let me know if you are interested.
Making drop cookies is time consuming. Mixing the dough is quick, so don't bother to run out and buy some commercial frozen mix. It's the standing around while baking batches. I'll mix the dough, you come over and bake it!
Some genius developed the cookie "bar" or "square", which is the delicious dough baked all at once in a sheet pan and cut into squares. I think "bar" is a heartland word, and when I heard it in my California days, I knew I had met a native.
There are at least a million varieties of the cookie square. Here are two of my favorites, one very nutty and buttery and the other a bit more "healthy" if you will, but equally delicious for date lovers. The photos show smoothing the base crust with a half round plastic gadget that I can't live without, (palm of the hand works, too), pouring the topping over a partially baked base crust, and smoothing the topping (the nuts in this example).
NUT SQUARES
Preheat oven to 350 F
Lightly butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan
Base Crust:
Place in food processor with metal blade:
1 stick butter (cut into 6 pieces)
2 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon freshly grated (zest) grapefruit or orange rind (optional, but wow!)
Pulse in processor until evenly crumbly--don't over process or let it clump into a ball.
Pat into prepared pan, smooth it over so crust is even.
Bake about 20 minutes. Don't brown it--just set it.
Remove from oven and set aside until topping is ready.
Nut Mixture Topping:
3 1/2+ cups chopped nuts (Combo of hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazils, pecans, pine nuts, etc. I like at least two kinds and have used up to four--depending on what I have on hand.)
1 stick butter (can go up to 1 1/2 sticks if desired)
1/2 cup flavorful honey
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
Pinch of thyme or pinch of lavender buds if desired (optional)
Cook ingredients (except nuts) in a heavy bottom sauce pan until all butter and sugar is dissolved. As mix comes to a slight boil, remove from heat, add chopped nuts immediately, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour onto crust, spread evenly, and return to oven for 18 - 20 minutes. Do not over bake or the topping will caramelize (still tastes great) and very hard to cut. Cut into squares with a metal pastry cutter or sharp pizza wheel, or a kitchen knife. When cool, store in airtight plastic or tin container, separated by waxed paper or parchment. Keeps well for several days.
* I chop nuts in the food processor. Just pulse a few times until they are the size you want. For these squares, they should be fairly coarse, not dust. Your preference. Pulse with a pinch of salt to enhance flavor as this is a very sweet treat. If nuts are very oily, add a teaspoon sugar for pulsing---keeps nuts from sticking.
Divine Date Squares/Bars
Preheat oven to 350 F
Lightly butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan
Date Mixture topping:
Place in a heavy bottom sauce pan:
16 oz (1 pound) chopped dates
If you buy a commercial package of dates, they are likely sugared. If you plan to chop your own, add 3/4 cup white sugar to the sauce pan.
1 cup water
1 tablespoon liquid vanilla
Cook until the water is mostly absorbed and the dates are soft and mushy. Cool to room temperature.
Base Crust:
Melt 1 cup butter (2 sticks) and set aside. (30 seconds in my microwave--cover container with plastic film or a glass cover--this splatters). Set aside to slightly cool off.
Place in food processor:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (whole non-instant oatmeal)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
Pulse listed dry ingredients. Add melted butter and pulse again until just mixed.
Press into 9 x 13 inch pan and smooth over (see above recipe and photo).
Top with date mixture and spread evenly.
If you desire some contrast on the dark topping, scatter over a tablespoon or two or oats before baking.
Bake in oven 20 - 25 minutes. Cut into squares as in nut recipe. This one softer and is easier to cut.
Thanks for tuning in! Happy cooking!
KGC
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