If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating a date square, with its layers of crumbly-crunchy oatmeal crust sandwiching vanilla-scented, jammy date filling — you’ve missed a delicious (and classic) treat. While some date square recipes combine filling and crust in one chewy bar, we prefer this three-layer approach.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9” square pan or line it with parchment.
To make the filling: In a small saucepan, combine the dates, water, salt, and lemon juice.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the mixture has thickened somewhat.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and set aside to cool while you prepare the crust.
To make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Stir in the melted butter.
To assemble: Press 2 1/2 cups (about 450g) of the crust mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it out to completely cover the bottom of the pan with no gaps.
Top the crust with the date filling.
Add the nuts to the remaining crust mixture and sprinkle it over the filling.
Bake the squares for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Remove the squares from the oven and allow them to cool before cutting.
Storage information: Store squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days; freeze for longer storage.
