Growing up, Food for the Gods is of my favorite Filipino treat. This Food for the Gods recipe is simple and easy to make and it is gone quickly in our household.
Years ago, my father was always gifted with huge chunks of dates coming from Saudi Arabia which is the second largest producer of dates.
I remember vividly, it measured 24 inches by 12 inches by 2 inches thick and it was fully packed. Dates were pitted and packed like huge bar of chocolate. It was heavy and a knife was needed to cut a piece. If you love dates, these were very good.
My mom and her close friend always made Food for the Gods when we have dates. Oh, it was divine.
I don’t know if this treat is a bonafide Filipino dessert or adapted from another country. Dates is not abundant in the Philippines, so I wonder if this treat originated in the Philippines.
When my mom had her catering business instead of making Food for the Gods, she ordered it from a prominent bakeshop in Greenhills and they had luscious desserts.
My mom ordered cakes and desserts from different bakeshops for her business. Guess who were the lucky one? Me and my sibling. We had access to a variety of delicious desserts.
On top of that, we were gifted daily an assortment of desserts from Fountain Bleu, a well-known bakeshop and baking school in Manila.
My brother and the owner’s son went to the same school and every afternoon the boy’s nanny and driver were over at our house.
The nanny was copying all of my brother’s school notes and she brought us a box of different desserts everyday.
The funny thing, my brother was never home when she's there, only his backpack. Almost daily, my mom had to picked up my brother from school because the school bus had left already and only his backpack made it home.
After school, he'll stop by at the school bus, dumped his backpack and he'll go back to the school grounds and play. Luckily, it worked out for the nanny.
Now, we're older and we still have a sweet tooth but I try to limit desserts in our household. But during the holidays, we indulge and this Food for the Gods is always a hit.
How to Make Food for the Gods Recipe
If you have access to jumbo pitted Medjool dates, it is the best dates to use for this dessert.
Medjool dates is one of the finest variety of dates due to its superior quality and rich flavor. These dates are large, plump and moist.
Just like any fruit, dates are packed with important nutrients such as fiber, sugar, magnesium, potassium and carbohydrates.
Sprouts and Whole Foods carry premium medjool dates. They're quite expensive but they go on sale once in a while.
We love snacking on dates or having it after a meal. So I hide it if I am planning to make Food for the Gods.
I tweaked my moms recipe a little bit. I reduced the sugar but added more dates which are rich in natural sugar. Its sugar is way healthier than processed granulated white sugar.
Also, I find it easier to chop dates with a knife instead of using a food processor
Recipe
Food For The Gods Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar white
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks soften
- 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 pieces whole eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt sifted
- 1 ½ cup medjool dates chopped
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, cream butter and gradually add the white and brown sugar. Mix until fluffy.
- Add eggs and beat until well blended.
- Stir-in vanilla.
- Gradually add the flour mixture. Mix until blended.
- Stir-in dates and walnuts. Once completely mixed, grease an 11 in x 7 in baking pan.
- Pour batter and bake at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes and at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Note: Oven temperature vary, so adjust baking time accordingly.
- When done let it cool down. Use a spatula to loosen the sides. Cut into 18 pieces or servings. Enjoy!
- Store in a sealed container.
Notes
- It is easier to chop dates with a knife instead of using a food processor.
Nutrition
2 Kitties
I baked these last night for the first time. I followed the recipe exactly and used high quality Kerry Gold butter. I checked on them about 8 minutes after turning the oven up to 350 degrees and found that they were done - almost too done. The toothpick came out clean in the center and also 1 inch from the edge. If I had waited the whole 15 min. as the recipe stated, I think they would have been over baked and dry. Oven temps don't vary that much so next time I'll check on them 5 minutes after turning up the oven to 350 degrees.