Calypso Bars

A chocolate date bar. My childhood memories of holidays included these bars from my mother's friend Bernie. Wonderfully rich.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 222 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
• ¾ cup butter
• 1 ⅓ cups white sugar
• ⅔ cup water
• 2 ½ (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 ⅓ cups chopped dates

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x10-inch baking pan.

Step 2

Cook and stir dates, chocolate, water, white sugar, and 1/4 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.

Step 3

Beat brown sugar and 3/4 cup butter together in a bowl until creamy. Add oats, flour, walnuts, baking soda, and salt; stir until texture is crumbly.

Step 4

Press half the oat mixture into bottom of the prepared pan. Evenly spread chocolate-date mixture over oat mixture layer; crumble remaining oat mixture over chocolate-date layer.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cut into 30 small squares.