Date Square
This timeless Canadian classic consists of a sweet date filling sandwiched between an oatmeal shortbread.
Ingredients
Date filling
- 227 g pitted dates
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup cold water
Shortbread
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup room temperature butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1½ cups rolled(old-fashioned) or quick oats do not use instant
Instructions
Date filling
- Break up the block of dates with your fingers into smaller pieces and combine with water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thick and smooth.
- Set filling aside to cool.
Date shortbread
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and oatmeal.
- Dice butter into ¼' cubes.
- Add butter to dry ingredients rubbing the butter with tips of fingers until butter is no larger than a dime.
Making the square
- Line a square pan with parchment paper or grease pan. You can use different sizes if you prefer thicker or thinner date square, yes, the cooking time will vary. For this recipe we like to use an 8'' by 8'' pan.
- Spread 3 cups of the crumb in the bottom of your pan loosely spreading until even before patting down until smooth.
- Distribute the cooled date filling in dollops evenly over the first layer. Smooth with an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumble evenly over the date filling. Pat until smooth.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 40 mins or until golden brown. We like ours a little on the darker side as it has more flavour.
- Wait until cooled before cutting the square. We like to lift it out of the pan and cut it on a cutting board.