Whole Wheat Date, Walnut & Coconut Squares

So I get my first DSLR! A Nikon D3200 to start with, general opinion being this is a good one for the complete beginner. Am terribly excited of course, quite intimidated too!  Hope I will learn my way around it in sometime. I have an adept-at-teaching, very ardent photographer for my teacher and guide to help me get started - but for a very short while only ! Therefore the rush to chew on his IIT brains and get a tiny bit of hands on practice before he takes off to start his career.  Thanks tons Ajay for all the guidance, help and patience with me!

While this is happening, I am also in the process of shifting my baking paraphernalia to another kitchen.  A little one again, nevertheless very happy to get the extra space - my little baking kitchen!  A lick of paint and some scrubbing and its ready to occupy.  Organizing, re-organizing, huffing and puffing down the stairs it will be for some days. Good for my expanding waist-line, should help me burn some butter and sugar - now and now on!

Here are some whole wheat date and walnut bars I made. Hubby loves both dates and walnuts and picks them up invariably when we shop. A handful of dates become his dessert quite often, I know who the culprit is when my stash of walnuts diminish from the freezer.  I had wanted to bake these Wheat Date And Walnut Squares from the KAF Whole Grain Baking book for him since long. Not too sweet, softish, relatively healthy, nothing indulgent or dessert-like really, but tasty little bites. Both the hubby and kids liked them, a tray of these with chocolate chips had to be baked too - 'dessert' with the lunch box is always welcome!

The recipe in the book is double the below, baked in a 9''x13'' pan. I have used an 8'' square tin for the recipe below.

Ingredients :

Whole wheat flour ( I use Ashirwad) - 65 grams

Butter, at room temperate - 30 grams / 2 tablespoons

Brown sugar, powdered - 1/3 cup, packed, then powdered (recipe uses 1/2 cup)

Baking soda - HALF of 1/8 teaspoon

Egg - 48 grams / 1 large

Vanilla - 1 teaspoon

Dates, pitted and chopped - 1/2 cup

Walnuts, chopped  - 1/2 cup

Dessicated coconut - 2 tablespoons

• Procedure : Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Line your baking tray with parchment, grease lightly. 
• Take the butter, sugar, soda and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. Beat (with a large spoon) for about a minute till the mixture is smooth. 
• Add the egg, beat till well incorporated about 30 seconds. Fold in the flour, till it almost disappears. Stir in the walnuts and dates. 
• The mixture will be very thick, almost like cookie batter. Dump it into the tray, push it to cover the pan. Wet your hands if needed to smoothen it.  Scatter the coconut on top,  press down lightly. This will make a very thin layer.
• Bake for 20-22 minutes or till a light golden on top and slightly darker around the edges. Cool the bars in the tin for 1/2 hour. Cut into squares. 

Yes, I took the pictures with the new camera. Am not telling you that Ajay helped me with the settings before he zoomed away as I took the pictures!