Chinese Chews are a dessert steeped in mystery; the first mention of it appears in 1917, but there are almost no additional sources beyond that. No one knows why they’re called Chinese Chews, since they aren’t from China in any sense. The only thing that isn’t mysterious is how delicious these squares taste! Rich with the extra sugary, fruity flavor of dates and the crunch of walnuts, Chinese Chews are a gooey and gourmet sweet you’ll want for every party. You may want to keep this recipe a mystery, just to make sure you won’t have to share it!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dates, chopped
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 3 eggs, well-beaten
- confectioners sugar, optional, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease and flour an 8×12-inch pan.
Step 3 –Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4 –Sift the dry ingredients with a sifter or a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.
Step 5 –Stir the dates, walnuts, and beaten eggs into the dry ingredients until it forms a sticky batter.
Step 6 –Spread the batter out as thinly as possible in the prepared pan.
Step 7 –Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Step 8 –Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely.
Step 9 –Cut the chews into 1-1-1/2-inch squares.
Step 10 –Dust with confectioners sugar and serve!