Got-a-Hot-Date Bars
1 cup whole pecans
½ cup chopped dates
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder (high altitude: ½ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup almond brickle chips (Bits O’ Brickle or Heath Toffee Chips)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan.
In a wide frying pan, toast the pecans over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until they begin to turn a darker brown and emit a nutty scent, about 10 minutes.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and turn the pecans out on paper towels. When they are just cool enough to
