Christmas Eve is here!

Perhaps one of the best parts about celebrating holidays as a married couple is merging family traditions and creating new ones in the process. When my husband was growing up his mom always made a cookie bar called a Chinese Chew. The recipe originated in a fundraising cookbook for her high school, and over the years she has made small changes to it. While no one seems to know where the name “Chinese Chew” comes from, it really is a delicious treat for the holidays. Especially with a tall glass of milk or a mug of hot cocoa.

This recipe is baked in a small 8″x8″ baking pan. A few years ago I tried doubling the recipe to bake it in a 9″x13″ pan, but the edges overbaked and the center was gooey. So, if you want to make a lot of bars just be sure to bake several batches in smaller pans.

Chinese Chews

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped dates

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla well. Set aside. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Add egg/vanilla mixture and stir until combined. Mix in walnuts and dates. Dough will be thick.

Spoon the dough into a greased 8″x8″ baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool for 1 hour, and then cut into squares. Coat in powdered sugar and serve to a happy husband.