Date Nut Chews!!!

Growing up in Winchester, Ky there were  things that you simply had to do.  You had to go to Gaunce's on Belmont after school for a cold Ale 8 and a bag of Grippo's BBQ chips.

 You had to go to Bickett's for an ice cream cone. I can remember in the summer time walking from the pool with my friends down to Bickets to enjoy their treats.

                                                     No image of Bickets was available

  And you had to visit Perdue's Bakery.  Perdue's Bakery had the most wonderful treats.  Every Friday, my mother would go to Perdues on Lexington Ave and get the most wonderful cake donuts, cherry nut chews and date nut chews. Oh my goodness!!!  I thought I had died and gone to heaven...these were to die for. Much to my dismay, the owners retired and the date nut chews were no more ....  Until after years of searching, I  finally found a recipe that is pretty darn close.

                                                              No image of Perdues is available

The recipe dates back  to 1938 and is simple.  you basically dump all the ingredients in a bowl and mix ...

What you need:

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped dates
• 2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, dates and nuts. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be very stiff).
2. Spread in a parchment paper lined  15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool bars on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Dust with powdered sugar as soon as they come out oven. Lift out of bar pan, place on wire cooling rack. Once cooled, use pizza cutter to to cut 1 inch wide horizontal strip, then cut 21/2 inch vertical  strips.