You'll feel closer to heaven upon tasting this cookie. Makes great giveaways.
I received rave reviews when I served this at my recent bunco party. My only suggestion would be to reduce the amount of butter by 3 or 4 TBS, or add a bit more flour because it was a bit oily after baking.
Read MoreThese were very good. I used 3/4c for the sugar and butter. They came out beautifully and I received compliments. I am rating three stars per recipe using too much butter and sugar. Made that way, they are too oily and rich.
Read MoreI received rave reviews when I served this at my recent bunco party. My only suggestion would be to reduce the amount of butter by 3 or 4 TBS, or add a bit more flour because it was a bit oily after baking.
GREAT!!!Best recipe I've ever tried.Just have to cut down butter to 3/4c and both sugars to 3/4c also.My 2 sons loved it and ate half of the cake before I can wrapped them individually.Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.Will definitely make it again!
Not only did my family gain lots of pounds because of this but when I made this as Christmas gifts to my friends, the people I gave them to finished them in one sitting. I've been receiving numerous requests ever since! Delicious!
Good FOR ALL OCCASIONS! My friends beg me to bake more each time. I would add 1/2 tsp of vanilla and it's even better.
These were very good. I used 3/4c for the sugar and butter. They came out beautifully and I received compliments. I am rating three stars per recipe using too much butter and sugar. Made that way, they are too oily and rich.
Great recipe but, I changed a few things I used 2 9x13 pans and spread very thin to make it more like a cookie bar and for my conventional oven I reduced the times by 1/2 so for the highest temp setting I only put it in for 5 minutes and for the lower setting I put it for 15 minutes and it comes out perfect.
I love to bake and my husband has been bugging me about baking Food for the Gods and I kept telling him I don't have a recipe for that and thank goodness sombody introduced me to allrecipes.com and got the recipe. Oh boy! since I first started baking that its like I have to make it and make it again and again. The baked product just wouldn't last for more than 3 days. Most of it of course were eaten by my husband. It is a great recipe! What more its so easy even my 4 year old can make it with a little help!
yummy! i followed the recipe as it is and it turned out great. because it is so rich, i only make this around christmas time in place of the more traditional fruit cake.
BEST THING I HAVE EVER MADE!!!!!!!! This is a direct quote from my ever-picky boyfriend, and I bake a lot! It's as if a date square and a butter tart made sweet, sweet brownie-love. It is to die for!!! If this is for the gods, then I declare myself a goddess!!! Definately stick to the recipe - I tried less butter once, and it wasn't as good. I have used half spenda for the sugar, though, and it worked fine. ENJOY!!!
I'm on vacation for a while and i wanted to make food for the gods for my boyfriend and his relatives, but i can't remember the exact measurements of the recipe that i use back home. Then i found this recipe similar to what i make except that i followed the advise of TDAMOCLES and removed 3 tbs of butter and since his family doesn't want too much sweet i lessen the sugar into 3/4c each then use only 2 eggs. It went out Chewy with a perfect hint of sweetness.
Superb recipe. I got lots of compliments for these Christmas giveaways. I reduced the white sugar to 3/4 cup and I didn't pack the brown sugar well. The sweetness came just right for my taste. However,these came out cakey rather than chewy as most food for the gods should be.Any tips on how to make these chewier? I brushed on some molasses on top after they came out from the oven and they smelled even better. Thanks for sharing!
soooo good!!!!!! lessened 3 tbsps of butter and used only 3/4 c white sugar. for the brown sugar, i still put in 1 c packed but used super dark brown sugar. i read a tip that if you want it chewy, use dark brown sugar. kept an eye while it was finishing in the oven and came it out super perfect!! wished this recipe was the one i used for my xmas goodie gifts!
Heavenly dessert! Always the bestseller in a bake sale and potlucks! I would suggest adding more walnuts to balance the sweetness of the dates and sugar. I agree also on reducing the butter to 3/4 cup. But even the way it is on the recipe, it is still good. Most of the time people wont notice the oiliness over the tastiness of the cake itself! I still prefer this over brownies!
This was fantastic exactly as written. I live in the Philippines where this is a very popular dish and this recipe is better than any I've eaten here. Thanks for the recipe - definitely a keeper in my book!
X4 Made these for the lady I care for and the co-workers loved them as well. This recipe is very rich. I had to leave the house and ended up having to turn off the oven twenty minutes into baking and finished when I returned. It fell but still oh sooo good.
OMG, are these ever heavenly! They are truly melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I took the advice of another reviewer and used a bit less butter and about 1/4 cup more flour to make the bars less greasy. I also cut back on the sugar just a little as the prechopped dates I purchased were already sugared. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It's a keeper.
I really loved this recipe,its a classic!I made some slight variations,though.Instead of using white flour,I substituted it with wholemeal flour which is healthier,and I've added few drops of vanilla essence for that yummy aroma.Made this when I went on a potluck party and everybody just loved it!!
I followed the recommendations to use 3/4 C butter and 3/4 C sugar - and it tasted delicious (my fiance loved it!). However, it was cake like and my childhood memories were more of a moist brownie-bar type consistency. I think I will try the original recipe next time. Flavors were rich but very cake-like.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE this recipe!! It's a total hit every single time I bake these...from work to home to parties....it's always requested over and over again! My parents especially love these! I love how these smell right after baking...mmmmmmm!! Thanks for sharing such a tasty recipe!
This is a good recipe. I followed others advice and reduced the butter to 3/4 c. As with both sugars. 2 whole c. Of sugar would have been far too sweet. My batch came out a bit Daley though. I remember food for the gods having a fudgey texture, like brownies. Feels more fulfilling. Maybe I over beated the eggs? Also, I added 3/4 tsp. Vanilla and 1/4 tsp of almond extract, just to give a nutty aroma. Plus 1tbs of honey. This would also pair well with whipped cream cheese!
Rich & delicious with vanilla ice cream! I added 1/2 tsp of rum extract for more of a fruit cake flavor, but it would have been just as good without it. UPDATE: I make this every year in the fall and winter. I still use the exact recipe with the addition of 1/2 tsp. rum extract, but I also add 1 Tbsp. of vanilla and 1 Cup dark chocolate chips now. Yes, the chocolate chips make it more rich, but I love rich food (if you don't, why are you making this recipe?) and they feel so much more extravagant to me this way.
I read all the reviews and did decrease the sugars to 3/4 c each and the butter as well. it was still quite sweet and greasy. tasted good, but the greasy was overpowering.
I originally gave this a poor review. I hadn't talked to my close friend, who I gave some to. He didn't know the background of this recipe, but he called it "heavenly". His word exactly. I lessened the butter, sugar, and brown sugar to 3/4 cups each. It took care of the oily, greasy texture while also making it not so rich.
I doubled the recipe and it is perfect for a half sheet pan. I was able to get 24 (2X3) pieces. I reduced the sugars to what people recommended.
Very rich, it's like date-nut bread in the form of a brownie. I suspect this would be good with cream cheese, but I doubt I need the extra calories :) Thanks for the recipe- everyone at work loved it!
I Made it with 3/4 cup butter 1time i made it i used 1cup and it did seem alittle to buttery. My husband coworker's wife made this every year foe xmas and everyone loved it! She wouldnt give anyone the recipe or even the name. Every xmas eveyone waited for their gift lol well i found out the name and thought it was a joke but 1 nite i looked and there it was. Well I have already made it 4xs in a mnth fir different gatherings. My husband isnt allowed to bring any to work or let his coworker know that her secret is out. It wouldnt ve nice plus I wouldnt want her to stop making it . Everything taste better when someone else makes it lol now if we could just get her amazing eggroll recipe.
These are wonderful and I will make them again. I followed the recipe and didn't change anything. They make a great gift being you can wrap them indivdualy and they store great this way. Carolyn
i made this tonight, and it was fabulous!! I'm usually not one into anything too sweet, and i'm not really into dates either, but i made this for my bf... Anyways, i tried it, and it was great!! didnt find it too sweet at all - mind you, i took the advice of others and only used 3/4 cups of the white sugar. It didnt take away from the taste at all, or make it bland like i feared it might.... This one is a keeper!! Can't wait to serve it for christmas!
I made these for a Christmas party and they were a big hit! I used slightly less dates (I didn't have enough for a cup) and pecans instead of walnuts. They were moist and wonderful. I might make them again with cream cheese icing.
I made half the recipe with the nuts and half without, and used all the butter and sugar. Both versions were good.
This was a good recipe. I had to add half a cup of flour, but the batch still came out oily. I read a few of the reviews and I think that next time, I will reduce the butter. It was still delicious and a great hit with the company. Thanks!
Not sure what I did wrong event though I followed the recipe exactly. Mine turned out dry and gritty. Will not be making again.
I must have done something wrong...these turned out as one big gooey, chewy blob. However...it tasted great :-)
I am so sorry I followed reviews of lessening sugar. I should have kept to original recipe. For those who found it "oily", this is a Filipino dessert/treat. It is supposed to be very rich and not dry, like a brownie. I will try it again, but stick to the original recipe as written. I lessened the sugars and sure enough, I found it not as sweet as what I am used to in the Philippines. I was looking for the Maya cookbook where the original recipe came from but alas, can't find my copy any longer. The hazards of relocation.
Hmm, not what I was expecting or what I was looking for, but good nonetheless. I used 3/4th cup of butter, 3/4th cups of each suagar and I'm so glad I did. One thing though: the recipe said to bake it 30-40 min after the initial 10 min and I only baked it for 30 min but it was still a little overbaked. Maybe it's my oven. In my opinion, it's not a cookie at all. More like a dense, flat pound/ butter cake with dates and walnuts. The butter flavor is very pronounced, which makes it taste great. But it's not what I would call a date "bar". My picky family loved it!
I just tried this recipe. Followed the advice in the reviews of using 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar and 2 eggs. The chopped dates I boiled in a bit of water until it loosened up, turned off the heat and then added the 1/2 tsp baking soda. It helped soften the dates and aerate it. Didn’t have enough walnuts so added some almonds and cashews in. Cooked as instructed 10 minutes at 350F and 30 minutes at 300F. Came out chewy and with just the right amount of sweetness. It’s now a family favorite. Will be making this again.
This is sooo good and moist. Some people think it is too moist but that is really the way it is back in the Philippines. You may opt to reduce the sugar by a bit.
Very good...even my children who don't like dates enjoyed these treats. I used a 9 inch square pan, and cut the finished product into small powdered sugar dusted cubes.
I followed the recipe, and it is really good, but why is it that after 3-5 days the bars become hard that you cannot bite it anymore. I want to bake them early for giveaways. Can anybody give a tip to make it tender and moist even after a week.
I cant really rate this recipe bcos i didnt follow it exactly. I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup each and added only 1 cup of dates and 2 cups nuts.Even with the reduction in sugar and dates, it was still pretty sweet for us. BUT, this is a very tasty cake! I am not sure if it should be called a "cookie' tho :) I made this in mini loaf pans to give away for the holidays. I doubled the recipe and got 16 perfect mini loafs! Next time tho, I will reduce the sugar even more to 3/4C maybe and use the 2 cups of dates stated in the recipe.
I read the reviews before I went ahead and baked one. I followed the revision with 3/4 cup of butter. Brown sugar is still 1 cup. I was gonna do 3/4 cup of white sugar but I ran out so I just used what's left - that is 1/2 cup. Then I added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I made the chopped walnut finer as I can't bite that much because of my braces. It smells good when I was baking it, but with 1/2 cup sugar short from the original recipe I am not expecting anything from this anymore. To my surprise it still turned out good. Whew! I thought it is going to be a waste. The roman or greek gods/goddesses must have sensed my worry lol. I'll try it with rum extract next time! Thanks for sharing the recipe. And to those who made revisions in the recipe thank you for sharing your comment/experience.
Love Food for the Gods growing up and this is my go-to recipe. Friends and family love it! Like everyone I decreased the butter to 3/4 c as well as the white sugar to 1/2c and the brown sugar to 3/4 c. Enjoy!
what is this? Is this ambrosia? Probably nectar? Because those were for the greek gods.
Thank you very very very much for sharing this recipe!!! :D :D :D I have been looking for this recipe for a long time, it brings me back to memory lane. It has been and will always will be my favorite dessert to bake. I really love the balance and the blending of the caramelization of the sugar and the dates with the walnuts. Our family loves it so much!!! Again, thank you and keep safe always!
I baked it on individual mini loaf pans instead in a 9 x 13 pan. I notice that the center of the cake sinks. why is that? do I need to adjust the amount of batter to be put of the mini loaf pans?
I made half the recipe with the nuts and half without, and used all the butter and sugar. Both versions were good.
Delicious! They didn’t last long! I made this following the recipe exactly. Many reviewers said they had a cake-y result. My batter was very stiff, and I did not “pour” it into the baking dish, I had to spread it. My bars turned out chewy, and were even better the next day. Next time I will wrap them, and serve after at least a day. Excellent.
These were terrific on their own and great with a scoop of ice cream on top! I'm at altitude, so I added a quarter cup of flour and they were perfect. Very sweet.
My cooking time was 40 minutes. I think a little less than a cup of dates would be better, as this is very moist and sweet. This also works well without the walnuts if you don't like them. Very easy to make and tastes wonderful!
Should have listened to other reviewers and cut the butter. I like to follow a new recipe then make changes. Will make this again
Oh soo good! This has become a family obsession I make it almost every month. The recipe is great and accurate. My only tip/suggestion is the fluffier your butter the better the outcome.
Made these a few times and both my and my husband's family loved it! Great recipe
This is a nice little square that I will make again. I give it 4 stars because I found the amount of sugar a bit over the top, particularly because dates are sweet on their own. I sieved some icing sugar over the top once cool enough, which dressed up the presentation.
