Before you’re ready to bake, take the butter out of the fridge and let it soften for about an hour. Make sure all the other ingredients are ready to go. Heat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 Baking Slab with the tablespoon of extra butter.

Put the sticks of softened butter in a large bowl with the sugar and eggs. Use an electric mixer or whisk to beat the ingredients into a creamy, smooth mixture. (If the butter or eggs are cold you might have some tiny lumps, but that’s fine.) This will take 1 or 2 minutes with the mixer or about 3 minutes by hand. Stop once or twice and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a soft spatula as you work.

To the same bowl, add the vanilla, flour, coconut, chocolate chips, dates, nuts, baking soda, and salt. Stir with the soft spatula until there are no more streaks and everything comes together in a stiff batter.

Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan or dish. Use the soft spatula to push the batter into the corners and scrape every last bit from the bowl. Bake until the edges turn golden and the center is no longer jiggly when you shake the pan, 30–40 minutes. Let the bars cool completely in the pan or dish before cutting into squares or rectangles. Store in an airtight container for a couple days or refrigerate for up to a week.