The first time I got ahold of a recipe for Food for the Gods was when my friend, Mike, asked me to teach him how to bake it. It was meant to be a gift to show-off to his then-I-Want-Her-To-Be-My-Girlfriend friend who supposedly, loves Food for the Gods. Up until then, I had only tasted this once and it was To. Die. For.
Food for the Gods is a popular Filipino holiday recipe made rich and decadent by a bounty of tender Medjool dates and an abundance of walnuts on a butterscotch base. These bars are chewy and moist, sweet, bitter and buttery.
Little is known of the origins of this recipe. It is highly likely an adaptation of a Spanish sweetbread known as Pan de Datil y Nueces. It appears to have been made of very similar key ingredients plus figs. The luxuriousness of the ingredients could have been one of the reasons why it’s been, and still is, called Food for the Gods.
Sadly, my friend did not get the girl but I got to keep the recipe of this ambrosial delight.
Food for the Gods
Difficulty: Easy15
minutes40-50
minutesIngredients
2 large eggs
230g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
275g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
75g walnuts, roughly chopped
250g Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
160g all purpose/plain flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F. Place the oven tray in the middle rung.
- Generously grease a 7″x11″ rectangular pan.
- Using a handheld mixer at medium speed, beat eggs until light
in color and fluffy in texture.
- On the lowest setting, stir in the butter
- Gradually add the sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat until dissolved. Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Stir in the walnuts and dates. Fold in the flour until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, making sure it’s level and
reaches the corners of the pan.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean (some clinging crumbs are ok).
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
