Maple-Date Bars by Diabetic Foodie

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Noshing with the Nolands

This is another #SundaySupper installment of celebrating these wonderful people and their sites. Today we have a recipe from Shelby at Diabetic Foodie. From the title of her blog, you guessed it she has Diabetes. She has an amazing journey written out in her About Me page, which you should check out.

Shelby has many wonderful recipes and I really enjoy her site. From this past #SundaySupper she made Asparagus and Proscuitto Bundles one of my favorite quick appetizers. She has other recipes like Salmon Quinoa Patties with Lemon-Caper Tarter Sauce that looks so enticing. What is impressive about her site is that she includes all the nutritional values for each recipe.

What caught my eye though, a couple of weeks ago were these lovely looking Maple-Date Bars. I had some dates in the pantry and hadn’t had a date bar for so long. They enticed me to try to them plus I wanted a homemade treat for Amber’s lunchbox. I followed her recipe exactly. No tweaks or adaptations and they turned out perfectly. YUM!! Amber devoured the ones in her lunch box, telling me that I have to make more and I surely will. Here is Shelby’s great recipe.

Thanks Shelby for letting me share this with all my readers!!!

Maple-Date Bars by Diabetic Foodie

Author: Shelby Kinnaird

Recipe type: Dessert

A light and delicious date square.

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups finely chopped pitted medjool dates
¾ cup water
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
Cooking spray

Instructions

Combine dates, water and maple syrup in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring frequently, until most liquid is absorbed (about 12 minutes). Mixture should look like jam. Remove from heat and stir in zest. Cool completely.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Beat sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture (it will be crumbly).
Coat an 11- x 7-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press 2 cups of mixture into bottom of pan. Spread date mixture over flour mixture. Sprinkle remaining flour mixture on top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, then cut into 20 bars.

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Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Coconut Chocolate Diamonds

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

I grew up beside a wonderful family of seven and loved the daily antics of this tribe. Being an only child I didn’t have the camaraderie of sister or brotherhood. This family brought me into their fold and to this day have made me feel like part of their family. I was extremely saddened when they decided to move away. The matriarch of this fabulous family gave to me her Better Homes and Gardens cookbook collection that I have treasured ever since. I have recently added to the collection when I stumbled upon another vintage cookbook at my friend Nan and her daugher Courtney’s company, The Kitschy Chicks. Anyway, I have loved these cookbooks forever and still use them to this day, changing recipes to suit the need. This is a great recipe that I have made countless times but have changed it up. I also like to under bake this at times and then it is runny and gooey and tastes like a really good butter tart. They freeze well and can be included in your child’s lunchbox. I have also made these at Christmas time as the diamond shape adds to the cookie collection. Enjoy!!!

6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 8″ square pan by spraying with cooking spray and then lining with over hanging parchment paper. Cream together butter, white sugar and salt. Stir in the 1 cup of flour. Place the ingredients into pan and pat down. Bake for 15 min. or until lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, combine eggs and vanilla. Add the brown sugar gradually, mixing until just blended. Next add the remaining 2 Tbsp flour and salt. Stir in the coconut and chocolate. Bake 15- 20 min. under baking if you like to maintain that gooey interior or completely bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the pan cool and run a knife around the edge that is not lined with the parchment and pull out the squares using the parchment paper. Cut into diamonds.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, Cookies and Candies

Lemon Bars

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Noshing with the Nolands

I love the flavour of lemon in desserts. The pairing of sweetness and tartness is fantastic!! Lemon desserts are so spring-like. These are one of my favourites and I am sure you will love them too!!

Bottom Layer

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Second Layer

1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup coconut, sweetened and shredded
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Lemon Icing

1 1/2 cup Icing sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (or add to desired thickness)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 8″ x 8″ pan and line with parchment letting the edges hang over so you can easily remove the bars after they are baked. Mix together the bottom latyer cutting in the butter until crumbly and press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 min.

Mix together the second layer with a wooden spoon. First mixing the sugar with the eggs and then add the coconut and lemon juice. Whisk together the dry ingredients and then add them to the coconut mixture. Place on top of the first baked layer. Bake for 30min. or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

With a hand held beater mix butter and icing sugar together and add lemon juice. I like the icing to have a fresh lemon flavour but be careful not to make it too runny. Ice the bars still in the pan and refrigerate at least one hour. Score the outside of the bars to remove them from the pan and using the over hanging parchment gently lift them out. Cut into squares and serve. Oh la lemony!!!