The following is a Date Bar Cookie recipe that was from my grandmother who was 92 when she passed away in 1980 and is a favorite in our family and with our friends.
Cream together: 2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add: 1 cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Then add: 1 pound dates, chopped
1 cup nuts, chopped
Beat until dates are mixed into batter. Batter will be quite thick. Bake in 9x9-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350º oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Cool completely and then cut into bars. Store in airtight container. Freeze very well.
Note – I double the recipe and bake in a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper.
Also, note that this recipe has no oil, butter or shortening. The dates I use are bought bulk that are typically more moist than your box-packaged dates. I buy locally from the Houston Pecan Company in Houston, TX.
Recently I learned from my cousin that she had the same recipe from her grandmother and the only difference was that instead of the 1 pound of dates, her recipe called for 1/2 pound dates and 1/2 cup coconut. I am sure the coconut would help with moistness in the cookie.