Recipe Of The Day: Decadent Date Squares

Remember that picture from my last post about my homemade iced tea?

Ah, good ol’ times. Seems like just yesterday.

          Admit it. Mondays suck. Even if it’s getting hotter outside, you ARE craving that sweet, indulgent dessert to get through the rest of your day. You guys are lucky, ’cause I’ve got the perfect combination of sweetness, fat and a little fiber to clear your conscience.

          Date squares!

          …and when you think about it, it can’t be that bad with a nice scoop of vanilla iced cream. Served on a tong-shaped plate (or even on that ugly Christmas plate you got as a gift for the Holidays in 1994), it’ll most definitely get that summer touch you’ve been longing for.

Okay, maybe not on that ugly Christmas plate you got for the Holidays in 1994.

          Plus they’re quick and easy to make using ingredients you probably already have at home! Which means… no harmful chemicals or hydrogenated oils like you’d find in boxed desserts… even though they’ll be ready in the same time as it would take you to make that cake from the mix!

          I bet some of you are already telling themselves: “Oh God, will she ever stop bragging and get to the damn recipe..!” Well, you guys are served, ’cause here it is!

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          Recipe for Homemade Date Squares (makes 16 servings):

• 1 1/2 cups oats (preferably rolled or steel-cut, quick oats will make the crust too crumbly)
• 1 1/2 cups flour (white or pastry, haven’t tried gluten-free, if someone does let us know in the comments)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup butter, softened (very important or else the crust won’t have a uniform texture)
• 3/4 diced pitted dates (I used a small pack of Medjool dates)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp lemon juice (to cut off some of the sweetness)
  

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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, 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 pan.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the dates, water, and 1/3 cup brown sugar to a boil, and cook until thickened. Add in lemon juice, then remove from heat. Spread the date mixture over the crust, and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until top is golden. Cool, then cut into squares.

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Nutrition info:

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Maybe a little (way) too much on the dense side considering the serving size… but hey, Mondays suck and you deserve a treat! 😉 ¡Hasta la próxima!

-AF

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