Easy Melt&Mix Date Bars with Macadamia Nuts and Mahlep

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Easy Melt&Mix Date Bars with Macadamia Nuts and Mahlep

Labels: { Cookies and Bars, Desserts, Fruit, Herbs and Spices, Nuts and Seeds }

This quick and delicious treat is perfect for an afternoon snack, a breakfast bite or an indulgent but healthy dessert. A classic melt and mix date bars recipe made with date syrup (or golden syrup), coconut sugar (light brown sugar is a good substitute), butter (or coconut oil if you prefer), macadamias (or nut of your choice), and dates, of course. The real star of these cookie bars is mahlep.
Mahlep, Mahalepi or Mahlab, used mainly in holiday breadmaking, cookies and pastries in the Middle East countries, is an aromatic baking spice made from the seeds of the mahaleb cherry, aka rock cherry, prunus mahaleb, and St. Lucy's cherry. Mahlep tastes a bit like cherries, bitter almond with a hint of rose and vanilla. Once baked, it becomes fruity and rich, but subtle. The seeds either have to be ground or boiled as an infusion and strained to obtain the most flavor. You can find it in Greek and Middle Eastern food shops or Amazon. (I got mine from a local Turkish store), As it comes from a seed, powdered mahlab is more vulnerable to get rancid and spoiled, so it’s best to buy it in small quantities, and store it in a cool, dry place. Whole mahlab whole seeds store well in the freezer for a very long time. Grind it just before using for best results.

220 g Unsalted butter, cubed
100 g Coconut sugar (or light brown sugar)
3 tbsp Date syrup (maple syrup or golden syrup)
300 g Plain flour, sifted
2/3 tbsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/3 tsp Salt
2 tsp Mahlab
300 g Dried dates, pitted and roughly chopped
100 g Macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
Rind of 1 lemon, finely grated

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a 30cm x 25cm/12inch x 10inch rectangular baking pan and set aside.
Combine butter, coconut sugar and date syrup in a medium saucepan and cook the mixture over a medium heat until sugar melted and the ingredients combined.
Meanwhile place plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dates, macadamias and lemon rind in a medium bowl, mix to combine.
Add melted butter mixture to dates and flour, and mix well to combine. Spoon the thick mixture into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with the back of a tablespoon or a spatula.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until top is deep golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before cutting into bars to enjoy. Store the bars in a sealed airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature or in the fridge for up to one week.

49 comments:

Tom 17/4/22 00:48: ...Mahlep is new for me. This sure looks delicious!
Brian's Home Blog 17/4/22 00:49: That looks like some really good chewy goodness!
Christine 17/4/22 01:49: Interesting to learn of mahlep.
savorthebest 17/4/22 03:05: That looks so good and sounds perfect for my tea.
kathyinozarks 17/4/22 03:19: Not familiar with that ingredient but yum these sound and look really delicious
J.P. Alexander 17/4/22 04:10: Gracias por receta. Me gustan mucho los datiles. Te mando un beso.
Eva Taylor 17/4/22 04:37: I’ve never heard of mahlep, but now that I’m I’m Spain, I’m going to keep my eyes out for it, it’s definitely intriguing. I recently perfected a high fibre granola bar recipe that I’ll post in May.
Éva http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/
Kitchen Riffs 17/4/22 06:47: I'm with several others -- mahlep is new to me. Sounds nifty. As does this recipe! :-) Good stuff -- thanks.
Gloria Baker 17/4/22 08:30: Looks delicious Angie!! Happy Easter!!
DEZMOND 17/4/22 13:16: Mahlep sounds like a perfect combo of flavours actually!
Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake 17/4/22 13:51: I've never heard of mahlep either, but if it goes well with date bars, I'm a fan!! Happy Easter, Angie! xo
No tot són postres 17/4/22 16:09: I don’t know what mahlep is, but these bars looks very yummy

Ksss
Glòria
Bill 17/4/22 17:36: Looks fantastic! Happy Easter, Angie.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 17/4/22 17:59: this looks and sounds delicious bet it didnt last long!
Jeff the Chef 17/4/22 18:21: Mahlep sounds so intreguing!
Federica Simoni 17/4/22 19:49: Che meraviglia!!!! Buona Pasqua!
Cooking Julia 17/4/22 21:38: A nice and healthy cake, I would love it!
foodtravelandwine 17/4/22 22:10: I love it!...I would love to try it....I can see that those date bars are delicious!!......Abrazotes, Marcela
mjskit 18/4/22 00:07: Have never heard of Mahlep. It certainly sounds like it has a very interesting flavor with the cherry and hint of rose and vanilla. Need to keep an eye our for that. Love dates so these date bars have my name on them. A great afternoon snack Angie.
Veronica Lee 18/4/22 05:40: Interesting to learn of mahlep.

I would love it!
Grace 18/4/22 07:54: Angie, tus recetas se ven tan exquicitas!
Sabes; como los dátiles solitos. Me encantan. Son muy saludables.
Ahora a animarse a seguir tu sugerencia.
Muy buena semana!
Va un abrazo.🤗
Nammi 18/4/22 08:42: It looks so good. I always learn something new from you :).
speedy70 18/4/22 09:13: Averlo ora a colazione sarebbe perfetto!!!
Lola Martínez 18/4/22 10:15: Son unas barritas son saciantes y deliciosas, con ellas da gusto picar entre horas.
Bss
Vicky 18/4/22 14:02: Wonderful date bars. They look delicious. Something to prepare this week and surprise my family. Great treat.
Hena Tayeb 18/4/22 16:41: I had never heard of mahlep. These look great. Thanks for sharing.
tigerfish 19/4/22 01:59: So satisfying to just bite on and chew on these dates bars esp when I'm in need to snack.
Mbul Kecil 19/4/22 05:34: yummy!!! I really like dates Angie, It's look sweet and chewy when become one of important ingredient in your cake...I like the texture. Good job Dear

have a nice day ^^
Easyfoodsmith 19/4/22 08:19: These bars look so delicious and I am curious to try mahlab. My husband is likely to travel to Dubai sometime soon and I am definitely going to ask him to get me some :)
Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews 19/4/22 12:49: Thank you for explaining what mahlep is, as I had no idea and was about to go off to look it up!

All my favourite ingredients, textures and flavours. Easy to make and all for me, as hubbie doesn't like dates. How much better can a dessert get? :)
thepaintedapron.com 19/4/22 14:34: So pretty and once again full of things I'm not familiar with, but it sounds yummy and it's a win win that it's healthy too!
Jenna
Pam 19/4/22 19:12: Yum! I haven't eaten dates for far too long.
Balvinder 19/4/22 21:46: This looks amazing!
Wondering does it really need any sugar since dates are pretty sweet.
DeniseinVA 20/4/22 01:04: I love how you have presented this Angie, very pretty! Looks delicious also. Thank you for another great recipe :)
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 20/4/22 04:17: This looks seriously GOOD! I love desserts with dates and nuts, so this is calling my name!
babYpose 20/4/22 04:19: Not sure about Mahleb, will google it. This dessert looks super yummy, with dates are flavourful.
Nancy Chan 20/4/22 08:39: The date bars look delicious and healthy.
Rose world 20/4/22 12:44: My favourite macadamia nuts!!! I would like this bar!!!
Javier 20/4/22 13:16: Totally scrumptious! A bite in the morning and energy for the whole day!
Maria Grazia Ferrarazzo Maineri 20/4/22 15:08: So delicious bars, Angie! I always learn something new when I read your posts. Thank you so much!
savorthebest 20/4/22 20:42: I use mahlep in my Greek Easter bread. This is another great use. Looks delicious
Happy Retiree's Kitchen 21/4/22 07:37: These look delicious Angie, and I love that I can use my date syrup and coconut sugar in them. You come up with such interesting ingredients like Mahlep. Another spice for me to track down.
Pauline 21/4/22 07:39: Another wonderful recipe Angie.
My name is Erika. 21/4/22 12:55: These sound delicious. I love date bars. And I discovered Mahlab last year, and it is such a great flavor. I printed this one off and now just need to get some dates to try it. Thanks for sharing this Angie. Hugs-Erika
gluten Free A_Z Blog 22/4/22 15:24: Your date bars look and sound amazing. I remember my Middle Eastern Mother in law used Mahlep- so interesting.
Suja Manoj 24/4/22 15:30: Healthy and delicious. Mahlab sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing.
SavoringTime in the Kitchen 26/4/22 15:11: Date bars are an all-time favorite of mine and I've been finding beautiful California dates in the stores lately. The Malep seasoning sounds wonderful!
Noob Cook 3/5/22 13:17: Loving the pretty flower garnish which made these bars extra apt for springtime.
Choclette 3/5/22 18:41: I find mahlab a really exciting spice, yet I rarely think to use it. You're such a creative cook, this sounds fabulous. I'm always up for an easy recipe too.