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.