DATE SQUARES

Chopping the dates for these squares is easier, and less messy,
if you use kitchen shears or scissors to cut them.

HANDS-ON TIME
20 minutes
TOTAL TIME
1 hour
MAKES
30 squares

INGREDIENTS

• DATE FILLING:
  • 3 cups chopped dried pitted dates
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • ¾ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • pinch salt
• CRUST AND TOPPING:
  • 1½ cups large-flake rolled oats
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • ½ cup chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS

• DATE FILLING:
  1. In a bowl, combine dates with boiling water; cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
  2. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mash with fork until smooth.
• CRUST AND TOPPING:
  1. In a food processor, pulse together oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and baking soda until oats are chopped, five to 10 pulses.
  2. Pulse in butter until crumbly; pulse in cold water until mixture comes together.
  3. Remove one-third of the oat mixture for topping; toss with chopped almonds.
• ASSEMBLY:
  1. Press remaining oat mixture into parchment paper–lined 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) cake pan to make crust.
  2. Spread filling over crust.
  3. Sprinkle topping over filling, pressing lightly.
  4. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until light golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
  5. Let cool in pan on rack before cutting into squares.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, PER SQUARE:

• about 140 cal, 2 g pro, 5 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 23 g carb, 2 g fibre, 10 mg chol, 60 mg sodium, 164 mg potassium.
• % RDI: 2% calcium, 6% iron, 4% vit A, 5% folate.

VARIATIONS

• DATE AND PRUNE SQUARES:
  • In filling, reduce dates to 1½ cups; add 1½ cups chopped pitted prunes.
• BLUEBERRY SQUARES:
  • Omit Date Filling.
  • In a saucepan, bring 5 cups blueberries and 1 cup granulated sugar to boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Whisk ⅓ cup orange juice with 3 tbsp cornstarch until smooth; whisk into blueberry mixture and boil, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute.
  • Scrape into bowl; place plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
  • Assemble and bake as directed.
  • Let cool to room temperature; refrigerate until set before cutting into squares