Food For The Gods

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Filipinos are known for their overabundant holiday season celebrations. We don’t have Thanksgiving in the Philippines, so between Easter and Christmas, there is nothing to tide us over (except for birthdays). That’s why Christmas is such a big deal. The kitchens are busy for weeks ahead. People bake all kinds of edible gifts, like my favorite spiked fruit cakes that are given out to friends and family. We stock up on holiday staples such as Queso de Bola (cheddar cheese ball) and boxes and boxes of hamon (ham, no turkey). Some people (my mom’s mom) give notices to their favorite butcher to reserve meat for them to make ham (she makes a mean pineapple pork ham and chicken ham. Imagine that.).

One of the favorite “cakes” during the holidays is called Food For the Gods. I miss them dearly and until I baked my own, I haven’t had them since 2001. They’re basically date-and-walnut bars. [Don't wince, date-haters, I am one of you, too. You won't even notice you're eating dates when you have these.] These are so good, you’ll really have to leave some for yourself at home if you’re taking it to a party because it won’t be on the table for long.

Food for the Gods (Chewy Version)
[Recipe Source: here, but it was originally by Junjun de Guzman and Adoree Uy as published on Manila Bulletin]

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. honey or light molasses (I used and prefer honey.)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9″ x 13″ rectangular pan OR 2 – 8″ square pans with aluminum foil. Set aside.

2. Sift the all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder
together. Divide this mixture into two. Use one-half to
dredge the chopped dates.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine melted butter, brown
sugar, sugar and eggs. Mix until well-blended. Add in
the honey or molasses and vanilla extract.

4. Fold in the dry ingredients to the batter mixture.
Lastly, fold in the dates and walnuts.

5. Pour the mixture to the prepared pan. Spread evenly. Bake in the oven for
35-45 minutes or check doneness with a cake tester.
Insert tester close to the side. It should come out
clean and dry. The center would still be a little wet
when tested. Cool completely. Slice into bars.

NOTES:

I already made 4 batches of this recipe so I pretty much have it down to a science and to the exact flavor and consistency I want. Hope the following tips help you when you make them!

Baking pan: I used a standard size cookie sheet and the thickness of the bar is just perfect!

Dates: DO NOT use the already chopped ones that come in boxes because they are coated in sugar and will make your bars too sweet. It is brutal to chop 1 cup of dates, but it will be worth it! My first batch was super sweet.

Baking Time: Mine was perfectly baked in 15 minutes. I suggest you set your timer first for 15 minutes and go from there. My first batch baked for 40 minutes and it was a disaster. Next for 30, still stiff. Next was 20…ok. Fifteen is my magic number.

Cutting: Resist the urge to eat it just minute out of the oven. Patience! Let it cool completely and cut into bars. If you have a hard plastic spatula, that’s perfect for cutting because it won’t be as sticky as when you use a knife.

Wrapping/Packaging:
Traditionally, the bars (about 2″x4″) are wrapped in aluminum foil–yes, individually. Then it’s wrapped in cellophane, and put in boxes or plastic containers. I couldn’t find the crunchy cellophane that I love here so I settled for the roll of gift basket plastic sold at Wal-Mart. It’s a little tougher to wrap and twist at the ends, but if you’re giving it as gifts, it’s worth it. And look (to the right)–so pretty!

Serving Suggestions: You can also cut 2″x2″ squares and put them in paper cups if you’re serving them at a party. They’re sticky, chewy bars, so spare your guests the sticky fingers. They pair well with coffee. Some people find it too “rich”, so you can also serve them in smaller, more bite-size pieces.

ADULT Version: Before wrapping them in foil, you can also brush some brandy at the top and bottom. They are incredibly good as well.

Shelf Life: The question is–will it even last a day?! Hah. These are very shippable and will probably stay good for a little over a week, that’s my conservative guess. If you’re keeping them at home, stick them in the fridge and only take them out an hour before devouring them. They’ll be perfectly chewy.

We’ve given them out to Dan’s family and his workplace. I’ve mailed them to family and friends, and my dad even complained there were too few! Haha. They all loved it. I’m sure you will, too. It’s so easy to make and not time-consuming at all if you don’t count the wrapping time. Enjoy!