Meredith says:

“My family isn’t much for baking, and we don’t have a holiday cookie tradition at all. What we do have are Date Squares.

Date Squares are actually one of the original, orange-book Betty Crocker recipe known as “date bars”, with very minor tweaks accumulated over the years. My grandmother would make them for breakfast whenever my Aunt Sue and Uncle Bob would come and visit for a weekend, so there would be an easy, quick breakfast available, since Sue and Bob were usually bopping around on errands while they visited. Sue thought they were the best things ever, especially since they’re sort of healthy for a cookie, and the rest of them enjoyed them, too.

As the years have gone by and the few food traditions my family does possess have been distributed to the different branches of the family, date squares seem to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Since I’m the first person to think of making them for years, this one is now mine. I took a pan to my family’s Christmas dinner, and they were a big hit. So, now you get to try them.

They’re a great bar cookie, landing somewhere between brownies and granola with fruit. They’re not too sweet, and great for breakfast, dessert, or any time you need a treat that won’t make you feel too overly guilty, and they’re definitely a wholly American recipe right out of the Donna Reed era that deserves to be remembered.”

Date Squares

Ingredients for filling:

• 16 ounces dates (Dromedary brand works best)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Ingredients for crust and topping:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 c oats

Chop dates finely (sharp scissors or kitchen shears are the perfect tool for this.) Add chopped dates, water, and sugar to a wide heavy-bottomed sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened and turned a deep brown color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease or line a 13×9″ pan. In a medium bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

Layer half of the oat mixture in the bottom of the pan, covering the bottom completely and pressing firmly to ensure a dense base. Smear the cooled filling on the crust and lightly crumble the remaining oat mixture on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool before slicing into squares. Makes 18-24 squares.

Image by Roboppy.

This adorable hand-blown salt and pepper shaker set from Modern Artisans is sure to make a splash on your table.

“This whimsical pairing will certainly bring a smile to any dog-lover’s face! Each shaker is individually handblown (no molds used) in Oregon using high-quality glass and hand-mixed colors. Topped with corrosion-resistant metal caps, this delicate dog-and-hydrant shaker set provides the perfect touch of functional art in any kitchen!”

Handblown Glass Salt & Pepper Shaker Set – ‘Dog’s Best Friend’.

Happy belated holidays to one and all! After the semester ended, Mer and I got to work on our holiday baking. We split our projects between family traditions and our own take on other bloggers’ recipes. Our other projects included my Magical Mint Cookies, Mer’s Date Squares, and our version of the Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies from Never Bashful with Butter.

Today’s recap is our version of the ginger-cinnamon caramels, posted at The Kitchn at Apartment Therapy. Because I didn’t have the extract called for in the original recipe, I used an infusion technique that worked wonderfully. Unfortunately, I didn’t cook the sugar enough in the first pass, so while the finished product was delightful and caramel-ly when cold, the candies melted into goo at room temperature. The recipe here is adjusted to reflect that.

Ginger-Cinnamon Caramels

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cream
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter chunks
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 5″ ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• additional sugar for coating
• melted butter for coating the pan (approximately 3 tbsp), cooled

Line a 13×9″ pan with foil. Brush foil with melted butter and place pan in freezer until butter is set. Repeat. Return pan to freezer until ready to pour.

Peel ginger and cut into rough chunks. Place ginger, cinnamon, and cream into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm over low heat for 90 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to steep until cool. Strain and set aside, discarding cinnamon and ginger.

Combine sugar, syrup, and water in a very large, very heavy pot and stir until combined. Place over medium-high heat stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Turn heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the liquid is a dark red amber color. (Do not cook past this point, or caramel will turn bitter.)

Remove from heat and whisk in butter. With your face well away from the pot, slowly and carefully whisk in the cream. (The mixture will bubble and steam.) Continue whisking until well-combined. Return to high heat and whisk until mixture boils. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches the firm-ball stage (244-248 degrees on a candy thermometer).

Remove from heat and whisk in the salt. Pour into the prepared pan. Cool at room temperature until bottom of the pan is just warm to the touch; cover and move to the refrigerator to set overnight.

Unmold the candy onto a large cutting board or sheet pan. Grease the blades of a pair of cooking shears and use them to snip the caramel into bite-sized pieces. Toss cut pieces into a large zip-top bag containing a few tablespoons of sugar and shake to coat.

Makes about 10-12 dozen pieces, depending on size.