When I was growing up, there were certain foods that my mother made only around the holidays. One of my favorites was “date torte,” which is a delicious bar-type cookie. It’s an easy recipe that’s perfect for taking to a cookie exchange, or for tucking into a decorative tin, as it travels well. You might want to get creative and substitute another dried fruit for the dates. How about cranberries or apricots?
Here’s the recipe:
Filling
1 cup chopped pitted dates
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. lemon rind
1 cup chopped nuts
Cook dates, sugar, and water in a sauce pan for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Cool. Add lemon rind and nuts.
Torte
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups quick cook rolled oats
1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix in brown sugar and oats. Add butter and work with your fingers to a crumbly dough. Divide the mixture in half. Pat half the dough in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan. Spread with the date filling. Crumble the remaining dough over the top and pat down gently. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
