Date squares

I present to you the date squares, a dessert or cake for Canadian snacks. This is a luscious oatmeal crumble cake with a date paste filling. To do this, they must be cooked and partially pureed. With blond vergeoise and semi-salted butter, you will see, it is totally irresistible !

Ingredients for a 20cm square mould:

Date paste :

450g of pitted dates
220ml of water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
20g of lemon juice

Crumble dough :

175g of oatmeal
170g of flour
150g of blond or brown vergeoise
225g of semi-salted butter

Remove the stones from your dates, making sure that there are no small bugs inside (yes!).

Cut them into pieces and place them in a saucepan with the water, lemon juice and baking soda. You’ll see, it will foam up and break up the texture of the dates.

Bring to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes over moderate heat, stirring constantly.

Mix the dates partially, but not totally.

If there are pieces, that’s fine! Set aside while preparing the rest of the recipe.

Put all the ingredients for the dough in the bowl of your food processor.

Without a food processor, mix with your fingertips. Otherwise, use the sheet.

Mix until you have a kind of crumble dough.

Line a 20cm pan with parchment paper. I put 2 pieces. One in one direction, and the second in the other. Pour half of the batter (360g) into the pan.

Flatten the dough by hand.

Bake at 170°C for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and pour in all the date paste.

Spread evenly with a spoon.

Pour in the remaining batter, this time making crumble pieces. Press the dough a little without forcing it. This will prevent the pieces from falling into powder after cooking.