Date Slice – Quick & Easy is so good. This is a recipe sent to me by Caz. It has an oaty base and top and is filled with sweet, fruity, softened dates.
Dates, the fruit of the Date Palm, are often an underrated fruit. They are delicious, however, with a sweet fruitiness that is hard to beat.
The dates easily convert into a sweet paste, just by simmering in a little water. That then makes a great filling for sweet treats such as Date Slice.
The slice consists of a base and top, along with the date filling, which contain oats to give a lovely flavour. All components are easy to make and take very little time or effort. The reward is a lovely little treat which is good as a snack or served with cream or ice-cream as a dessert.
In the UK dates are very popular at Christmas, so these slices might be a good bake for then too.
Although I use an 8 inch/20cm cake tin a 9 inch/23 cm one will also work, but will provide wedges rather than squares.
Ingredients
Dates – these need to be chopped into pieces and will be simmered in water to soften.
Water – to simmer the dates.
Vanilla Extract – to give extra flavour to the dates.
Oats – any type except steel cut oats will be fine.
Flour – Plain/all purpose flour is good for the slices.
Butter – unsalted butter, cold for rubbing into, or processing into, the flour, oats etc.
Sugar – Light brown sugar gives a lovely light flavour the the base and top.
Baking Soda – Bicarbonate of Soda, as a raising agent
Baking Powder – as a raising agent.
Salt – to draw out the other flavours.
Process for Date Slice
The entire process is very simple and can be done by hand. But it is faster if you have access to a food processor. I like to use the processor bowl of my immersion blender for this type of recipe.
Simmer the dates in water for about 10 minutes, until they have softened and the water has been absorbed or has evaporated.
Preheat the oven to160C/140C Fan/320F.
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together then put that into a bowl, or processor, together with the oats and sugar.
Give that a few pulses and then add the cold butter and process until the mixture is combined into a fine crumb which them just begins to clump together.
Put half the mixture into an 8 inch/20 cm square lined cake tin. Spread it evenly over the base and press down to create a firm base.
Spread the date paste over that firm base.
Sprinkle the remaining mixture, squeezing it in your hand as you do so, over the date paste. Then press that down as well.
Bake the date slice for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is a light golden colour.
Take it out of the oven leave it in the tin until cool. While it is hot you can, if you wish, score lines on the top to show where you want to cut into portions when cooled.
Once the date slice is cool remove from the cake tin and cut into pieces of the size you wish.
My Date Slice
My Date Slice was in the oven for 40 minutes. I did score the top while it was still hot. Then I left it to cool completely. Then I was able to easily remove it from the cake tin and cut it into portions.
Sampling one piece was so good. The base and top was tender but with a slight crunch too, and the date filling was sweet, fruity and simply perfect.
Another very easy recipe, which is also full of flavour is Fruity Oat Cookies.
Date Slice – Quick & Easy
16
servings25
minutes50
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
227g(1 cup or 8 oz) chopped dates
125ml(1/2 cup + 1 tsp) water
5ml(1 tsp) vanilla extract
110g(2/3 cup + 1 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour
110g(1 1/3 cups) rolled oats
110g(1/2 cup minus 1 tsp) cold unsalted butter
175g(1 3/4 cups _ 2 tbsp) light brown sugar
4g(1 tsp) baking soda(bicarbonate of soda)
4g(1 tsp) baking powder
3g(1 tsp) salt
Directions
- Grease and line an 8 inch(20 cm) square cake tin.
- Put the dates and water into a saucepan bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Stir occasionally as the dates simmer, for about 10 minutes, until soft. The liquid will have evaporated or been absorbed.
- Set the dates aside in a bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/320F.
- Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
- Put the sugar, oats and flour mixture into the bowl of a processor and pulse a few times to mix together.
- Add the butter and pulse to a fine crumb.
- Process longer, until the mixture just starts to clump a little.
- Put half the mixture (about 260g) into the cake tin and spread evenly over the base.
- Press that down firmly to create a even, compacted, base.
- Spread the date paste over the base, evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining mixture, squeezing it in your hand as you so, over the date paste.
- Press that mixture down onto the dates.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is a light golden colour.
- Leave the slice in the cake tin until fully cooled (scoring lines to mark squares if you wish, while it is still warm).
- Remove the slice from the cake tin once cooled and cut into squares of the size you wish.
I wonder if a fig would do well..?
HI Rochelle. I am sure it would.