Canadian Date Squares Recipes

DATE SQUARES - CANADIAN RECIPE FOR DATE BARS

Steps:

• Chop the dates up a bit and add them to the pot with water or orange juice, butter, sugar, and spices, a pinch of salt, and bring everything to a boil on medium heat. Zest the lemon and juice it. Grate the lemon zest straight into the measured out sugar you are going to use for the crumble crust. Rub it in using your fingers so that the peel lets go of its oil and the sugar gets all aromatic and lemony.
• Add lemon juice to the date filling and continue to boil the date filling until nice and thick. Watch if well so that it doesn't burn or stick to the pan. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 356 F (180C). Line a (23 x 33 cm) baking tin with baking paper.
• Add all dry ingredients for the crust to a bowl. Grate the ice-cold butter right into the dry ingredients using a box grater. Rub everything together quickly to form streusel.
• Add half of the streusel dough to the pan and press down and into the edges to form a crust. Spread date filling on top. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top. Gently press down to compact the top crust a bit. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the streusels are golden brown. Should the topping brown too quickly, cover with some aluminum foil.
• Let cool down completely before cutting into squares.

GRAMMA'S DATE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine oats, pastry flour, salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and baking soda. Mix in the butter until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the dates, water, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook until thickened. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat. Spread the filling over the base, and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting into squares.

CANADIAN DATE SQUARES

Steps:

• Combine dates, 1 TBSP brown sugar, and water in small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, stirring often, until dates are soft enough to be mashed with a fork.
• Set aside.
• In mixer bowl, blend flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Stir in brown sugar and oats.
• Do not over mix.
• Mixture should stay crumbly.
• Press half of crumb mixture over bottom of lightly buttered 8x8-inch pan to form bottom crust.
• Gently spread date filling over bottom crust.
• Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over date filling.
• Lightly pat with palm of hand to even out.
• Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Cool completely and cut into squares.