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About Canada Regional Cooking The Prairies Date Squares
Date Squares
This popular dessert is also known as "matrimonial squares."
| Filling | |
| 1 cup | Water |
| 2 cups | Dates, with pits removed, chopped |
| 1/4 cup | Sugar |
| ½ tsp | Salt |
| ½ tsp | Vanilla Extract |
| Crust | |
| 1½ cups | Rolled Oats |
| 1½ cups | Butter |
| ½ cup | Brown Sugar |
| 1/4 tsp | Baking Soda |
| Pinch | Salt |
Grease a 9x9 pan and preheat the oven at 350°.
Boil the water in a saucepan. Once it is boiling add the sugar and allow it to dissolve. Then add the dates, salt and vanilla extract and keep it at a low boil until the dates are softened and the mixture has grown thick, then set aside.
Mix the butter and oats with a whisk, slowly adding the brown sugar, baking soda and a pinch of salt if desired. Continue mixing until the entire concoction is well-blended.
Put about half of the oat mixture in the bottom of the greased pan. Then spread the date mixture over top of it. Cover it will the remainder of the oat mixture.
Bake the dessert in the oven for twenty minutes. Once cooled and out of the oven, cut the squares and serve.