Chewy Date Squares
★★★★★
PREP TIME
1 hour 30 minutes
COOK TIME
15 minutes
MAKES
one 9- x 13-inch pan
Ingredients
1/2 cup
plus 2 tablespoons (141 grams) coconut oil, chilled until firm
1/4 cup
(53 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1
egg
1
egg yolk
3 tablespoons
honey
3/4 cup
(90 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup
(85 grams) whole-wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
1
orange, zested and juiced
1 pound
pitted dates
1 cup
(227 grams) water
1/4 teaspoon
salt
Instructions
- Make the dough: Beat together the coconut oil and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and honey, and beat until well combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture and mix until the dough just comes together.
- Divide the dough in half, press both halves into a disc, wrap them in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour (you can speed this up by popping them in the freezer for 20 minutes).
- While the dough chills, make the filling: Place the orange zest and juice, dates, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, then transfer (carefully!) to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and thick. Set aside to let cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and press one half of it into the bottom of a lightly greased 9- x 13-inch pan. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Roll out the second half of the dough to a rectangle roughly the size of your pan then gently place it on top of the filling and use your fingers to press it into place so it covers all the filling.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden on top. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving.
