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January is an excellent time to clear out your pantry, take inventory and restock. I always seem to have a few things intended for the holidays that didn’t get used. Taking stock this year, I discovered a package of dates that needed to be used. Dates will last almost forever, but they will dry out and get very hard. To use them up, I made some changes to an everyday Date Bar recipe and came up with a winning combination that was favorably received at a recent quilters gathering.

Date Bars

Date Filling:

3 cups chopped dates

3 Tbsp thawed, frozen lemonade concentrate

1 1/2 cups water

Bars:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine filling ingredients and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, constantly stirring, until thickened. Cool for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with shortening and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until well mixed. Stir in flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt until the mixture is crumbly. Press half the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining crumb mixture and press lightly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack. Cut into 36 bars. Yield: 36 bars.

Note: Lemonade concentrate is the secret ingredient in this recipe. Don’t leave it out. Also, shortening works better than cooking spray in this recipe.

Fry Pan Cookies (Date Balls) are fun and tasty recipes to use up extra dates or make any time of year. This would be an ideal recipe to use when planning a youth baking activity, as preparation is similar to No Bake Cookies. All ingredients are mixed in a saucepan, and cookies are set on waxed paper to cool.

Fry Pan Cookies

(Date Balls)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup chopped dates

Two eggs, well beaten

1 cup chopped nuts

2 cups Rice Krispies

2-2 1/2 cups finely flaked coconut

Combine sugar, butter, dates, and eggs in a large, heavy skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, often stirring until thick and glossy, 5-7 minutes.

Stir in nuts and Rice Krispies. Working quickly, form them into small balls, roll them in coconut and set them on waxed paper. Yield: 2-3 dozen, depending on the size you make.

Coffee hours or klatches often feature coffee cake. But, especially after the holidays, when folks have made resolutions to cut down on sugar or lose weight, social gatherings require rethinking traditional menus.

Quiche seemed an obvious choice for a non-sweet menu item, but I wanted all to be finger foods. This allowed me to try a recipe for a mini quiche. Buttery pastry-lined mini muffin pan cups make little quiche just the right size.

Mini Quiche

Unbaked pastry for a two-crust pie

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup add-ins include bacon bits, sliced olives, chopped spinach, basil, diced pepperoni and sliced green onion.

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Spray two 24-count mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Roll out, cut pasty into 2 1/2 inch rounds, and line each mini muffin cup. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl or 4-cup measuring cup, whisk eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt and pepper together until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate while you place add-ins in the mini quiche.

Fill pastry-lined cups half full with your choice of add-ins. Pour egg mixture until almost complete and top each with 1/2 teaspoonful of cheese.

Place in a preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the filling is almost set and the edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a serving platter—yield: 48 mini quiches.

Note: keep the pastry chilled until ready to use or bake. If you use low-fat milk, it will take longer to set when baking. Also, you may use regular muffin pans, but they will take 35 to 40 minutes to bake.

You may use purchased pastry or your favorite pie crust in the above recipe or the following recipe for All-Butter Pie Crust.

All-Butter Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp buttermilk powder

16 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter

1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Whisk together flour, salt and buttermilk powder in a mixing bowl.

Dice butter into small cubes and work into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles pea size meal. Drizzle in the ice water and toss gently with a fork until the dough begins to hold together easily without crumbling. If the dough is too crumbly, add a bit more ice water.

Gather dough into two balls and flatten them into a round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Use in your favorite pie and quiche recipes. Yield two pie crusts.

Note: if you use salted butter, omit the salt. Also, you can bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Today’s recipes would suit bowl game buffet tables or tailgate spreads. What are your favorite finger food recipes? Rethink the use of items in your pantry. Donate to your local food bank if they are not used before the expiration date.

Share your favorite recipes for entertaining with your readers by sending them to Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen, mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Follow us on Facebook, Welcome to My Kitchen, for tips and recipes we don’t have room for in the column. Plan now for flower beds and vegetable gardens. Order seeds and plants while selection is still good.