Date Sticks

Date sticks are the unfussy, throw-it-together bar cookies your grandmother probably made from the dates and nuts already sitting in her pantry. Chopped dates and nuts get folded into a simple eggy batter, baked flat in a single sheet, then cut into strips and rolled in powdered sugar while still warm. The result has the chewy density of a date bar with a tender, almost spongy crumb.

The recipe is delightfully terse, so a few things are worth spelling out. Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and thick before folding in the dry ingredients. This creates the lift this cookie needs since there’s only a teaspoon of baking powder doing the rising work.

Chop the dates fairly small, around a quarter inch. Big chunks turn into sticky pockets that pull the bar apart when you cut. A tablespoon of flour tossed with the dates before adding to the batter keeps them from clumping and sinking to the bottom.

Use walnuts or pecans, both work beautifully. Toast them lightly in a dry skillet first; raw nuts disappear into the date-heavy batter, while toasted ones add the buttery contrast that makes these bars worth eating.

Pro Tips

• The original recipe doesn’t specify oven temperature; 350°F (175°C) is the standard moderate setting and works well here.
• Line the sheet pan with parchment paper. Date sticks are sticky and stick to bare metal.
• Dust with powdered sugar while the bars are still warm. The residual heat helps the sugar cling to the surface.
• Wrap cooled sticks individually in waxed paper for lunchboxes. They keep well at room temperature for a week.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg for warm spice depth.
• Swap half the dates for chopped apricots or candied ginger.
• Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the cooled bars before slicing for a dressed-up version.