Chocolate Chip and Date Tray Bake

This truly wonderful recipe was given to me by my cousin Glynn’s wife Shirley. They live in Dodgeville, near Mineral Point, Wisconsin, which is twinned with Redruth. I have, literally, dozens of rellies in that area and have such fond memories of my visit to meet them all. The recipe was given to Shirley by a friend in 1975, when she was pregnant with her twins. Now we pass it on…..

You will need a tray bake tin, about 9 x 13 inches, well greased and I lined the base,  pre heat your fan oven to 160C

1 cup chopped dates

1 ½ cup boiling water

1 tsp baking powder

Pour the boiling water over the dates and allow to cool [you can do this overnight if you wish]

½ cup softened butter [4 oz]

1 cup caster sugar [7 oz]

2 beaten eggs

1 ¾ cups plain flour [9oz]

¾ teas baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs then the flour and finally the dates. Mis well and tip into your prepared tin and level off.

1 cup chocolate chips [I used Sainsbury’s Belgian Chocolate chips]

2 oz caster sugar

1 cup chopped pecans [or walnuts] - I used a mix of both

Mix the topping well then sprinkle evenly over the date mix. Bake for about 35-40 mins.

Cut into squares and enjoy.

Thank you dearest Shirley for this fabulous recipe. For those of you interested in Cornish Genealogy our mutual ancestors are the Lory’s from St Keverne. When Shirley married Glynn he gave her a book entitled The Lory’s of Cornwall. Anyone interested or connected, I have a copy of that book too.