Where to Find the Elusive Date Bar Mix

Question: For years I have made batches of Tiny Tims, the miniature fruitcakes, for holiday gifts. A very important ingredient in this recipe is a packaged date bar mix. For the last year I have been unable to find this mix at any market. Can you tell me where to find it?

Answer: General Mills, makers of the 14-ounce Betty Crocker Date Bar Mix, tell us Stater Bros. is the only Southern California supermarket chain that carries the mix on a regular basis. Alpha Beta has ordered a shipment for the holiday season, so you may be able to find the mix in their stores in time to do holiday baking.

Q: My wife and I just came back from six weeks in Scandinavia and cannot seem to find any Los Angeles food shop where we can buy great Nordic treats such as different kinds of herring, cheeses, Arctic berries and crackers. Can you help?

A: You should be able to find many of the foods at Olson’s Deli, 5660 W. Pico Blvd. (near Fairfax Avenue), Los Angeles and Norwegian Imports, 1231 S. Pacific Ave. (at 13th Street), San Pedro. Candies and canned berries are available, along with gift items, at Scandia House, 14029 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

In response to the Dec. 4 You Asked About . . . column requesting the recipe for Frosted Date Bars, we thank the almost two dozen people who sent in recipes. N. Ramsayer of Encinitas still had the following recipe, clipped from the Dromedary dates package, as did P. Gilmore of Long Beach and B. Warrenfeltz of Marina del Rey. F. Hebert of Rancho Palos Verdes had a similiar recipe, and there were a variety of the others that all sounded delicious.

FROSTED DATE BARS

1 1/4 cups sifted flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

Sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Sift flour again with salt and set aside. Cream butter, gradually adding 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla, then stir in flour mixture. Blend in dates and nuts.

Roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees 20 minutes or until light brown. While still warm, roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 3 dozen.

Address questions on food preparation to You Asked About . . ., Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Personal replies cannot be given.