Food for the Gods

This baked desert called Food for the Gods is made out of dates and walnuts mixed in a fluffy buttery dough, the texture is simply phenomenal think of it as a cross between a moist butterscotch crossed with crumby cookie.

Food for the Gods

I am not sure about the history of this dish or where it did originated but I guess I know where the name come from, give it a shot and I guess you will know it too. This baked desert is made out of dates and walnuts mixed in a fluffy buttery dough, the texture is simply phenomenal think of it as a cross between a moist butterscotch crossed with crumby cookie. It is popular during the Christmas season in the Philippines, similar to the American fruit cake where it is given as a gift for your friends and loved ones.

Food for the Gods origin like I said is unknown but since most of our dishes are of Spanish in origin it might suggest that this amazing desert have its roots from a Spanish bread called “pan de datil” which contains the same main ingredients. Name might have been changed during the American colonization and since dates and walnuts are quite expensive in my home country it was referred to as “Food for the Gods” denoting lavish ingredients meant for “the Gods” which can also denote to rich people or those on higher authority.

There are also some food items that are called “Food for the Gods”, like in the Greek mythology there is this food called ambrosia which is a honey-flavoured food eaten by the gods that allowed them to remain immortal, in modern times ambrosia is also referred to the “Food for the Gods” and it is made out of different fruits and cream. The Aztecs and the Mayans also believed that cocoa was a gift from the gods hence chocolate was regarded as “Food for the Gods”. Having said that, though all of these have no ingredients in common they all taste heavenly like this Filipino treat so I suggest give it a shot and let you taste buds explain it for you.

Don’t be intimidated by the name, by no means this is a very hard recipe to follow, it is quite simple to make and do not need some serious skills to prepare one, you will be surprised that even your friends who are good bakers will love this. But still if you think you have issues making them on the first try then I suggest instead of giving this one to your friend who can bake why not just print the recipe out and attach it inside the baking utensils you will be gifting them.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Food for the Gods

  • Author: Raymund
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Filipino

Description

This baked desert called Food for the Gods is made out of dates and walnuts mixed in a fluffy buttery dough, the texture is simply phenomenal think of it as a cross between a moist butterscotch crossed with crumby cookie.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup dates, chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup butter, cubed in room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 pcs eggs
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a bowl cream butter using mixer, once texture is fluffy gradually add sugar while mixing.
  2. Add the eggs and continue to mix until even in consistency.
  3. In a separate bowl combine together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture in the mixing bowl and continue mixing.
  4. Add the dates and walnuts and mix in low speed just until everything is evenly distributed.
  5. Place mixture in a baking tray then bake in a 180C preheated oven for 10 minutes, bring down heat to 150C then bake continue to bake for 35-40 more minutes.
  6. Remove from oven then let it cool down prior to serving.

 

Recommended

15 Responses

  1. peachkins says:

    I love chewy Food for the Gods!

    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family!

  2. PolaM says:

    With a name like this they must be to die for!

  3. Dates and walnuts are two of my favorite dessert ingredients
    I can only imagine how good this must taste! pinned to try very very soon

  4. Nami | Just One Cookbook says:

    Simple and delicious! I love dates in this dessert. 🙂

  5. Kristy says:

    This looks way better than a fruit cake. What a great combination of flavors. I know I would enjoy this one. 🙂

  6. foodjaunts says:

    I’ve never seen nor heard of this – but I have dates in my fridge as we speak and the rest of the ingredients in the fridge…

  7. Kristina says:

    Recipe doesn’t say what pan to use or how many bars it makes. 🙁

  8. Heart says:

    Where can i buy some dates fruit here in manila?

  9. haha i can’t afford this… I saw walnuts in Metro Ayala and it’s expensive hihi. Priced equivalent for 2 weeks food stocks.

  10. “Food for the Gods”Loved the recipe name. Creative way to name it 🙂 I’m a big fan of dates and try to experiment stuff with it. Your recipe looks yummy, delicious and easy. So, it’s in my next baking to-do list 🙂

  11. Marko says:

    This confection may have been introduced during the American occupation, various indications are typical of an early 20th-century dessert. I know of Italian cooks who documented this recipe in the 1910s; in Canada it’s called Matrimonial Cake and has an oatmeal topping. Irma Rombauer called them “Angel Slices” in her first edition of Joy of Cooking, saying “these are the cakes St. Peter gives little children at the Gates of Heaven”.

    My wife has been trying various FFG recipes to get one she likes (a bit on the cakey side, rather than fudgy). Since she’s not a cook, I’ve helped her with her various experiments – and in the process have made some experiments of my own. Here are some of our findings:

    [1] We buy chopped walnuts that have been vacuum-packed from a friend’s grove. Unless they’re refrigerated (or – better than that – frozen) they get stale quite quickly.

    [2] We ended up using whole pitted dates, which we chop ourselves. These are much fresher and moister than the commercial chopped dates. Of course, when her cousin visits from Quatar, she brings really good dates!

    [3] Our results were heavy for a while, so I began adding some ‘pinipig’ (actually Rice Krispys which I had baked at 350 for 10-15 minutes to crisp them) to make the batter lighter. Wife liked it, but says that “it’s not Food for the Gods”. Call it what you like, but this addition makes a much lighter confection – and likely reduces calories per ounce.

    [4] I’ve also tried adding some finely-chopped prune or buko (frozen). Again, “not FFG” but everybody likes them!

    [5] You can fool-around using less sugar, and even some non-gluten flours, but you can’t mess with the amount of fat. If butter is off your list, try Crisco’s butter-flavor sticks. And – if you really want your eyes opened – try unsalted lard!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.