A date square and a cup of tea is a wonderful treat. This is a recipe that I save for Christmas, but I’m not sure why. My mother served up date squares for family gatherings throughout the year. Perhaps I should bake these more often to get up to my mother’s skill level. Her date squares were the best!
If you are a fan of dates, give this recipe a try. It’s fairly simple and oh so scrumptious.
Date Filling Ingredients and Method
1/2 pound of chopped dates
1/2 cup of cold water
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Grated rind of 1/2 an orange
2 Tablespoons of orange juice
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
Cook dates, water, rind and sugar in a small saucepan over moderate hear until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, add fruit juices and mix well. Cool before spreading.
Date Squares Shortbread(base) Ingredients and Method
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of oatmeal
Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl. Rub in butter with tips of fingers or a pastry blender. Add sugar and oatmeal. Mix well. Spread half of the crumbs into the bottom of a buttered 8 x 14″ pan. Pat to smooth. Cover with cooled date filling – spreading evenly. Cover with remaining crumbs. Pat to smooth. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Increase heat to 350 and bake for an additional 5 minutes to lightly brown the top. Cut into squares while hot and allow shortbread to cool in pan before serving.
Enjoy the date squares!
Other recipes can be found here: https://sharitmitchell.com/recipes/