Name: Sunshine Date Squares
Yield: 16 bars
Cuisine: Healthy
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups water; 1 cup chopped, pitted dates; 1/2 cup raisins; 2 tbsp light brown sugar; 1/2 cup Pickles Eh! Three Fruit Marmalade; 2 tbsp orange juice; 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1 cup light brown sugar ((packed)); 1 cup oats; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 3/4 cup salted butter (diced) ((at room temperature))

Sunshine Date Squares

This is the basic recipe. I have included a variation for the filling that I really enjoyed as well.

CourseBreakfast, Dessert, Snacks
CuisineHealthy

Servings

16bars

Servings

16bars

Ingredients

Filling

1 1/2 cups water
1cup chopped, pitted dates
1/2cup raisins
2tbsp light brown sugar
1/2cup Pickles Eh! Three Fruit Marmalade
2tbsp orange juice

Base

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1cup light brown sugar(packed)
1cup oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4cup salted butter (diced)(at room temperature)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Line an 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water, dates, and raisins. Simmer for about 10 minutes – until the mixture is soft and thick. Stir occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, marmalade, and orange juice. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, and baking soda. Whisk to blend.
With your fingertips, rub the butter into the oat/flour mixture. Keep blending until there are no more lumps of butter and the mixture begins to hold together.
Press half of the oat/flour mixture into the pan.
Spread the marmalade/date mixture overtop.
Sprinkle the remaining oat/flour mixture over top and gently press down to firm the top.
Bake for about 40 min until the edges are starting to brown and the top is golden.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Filling Variation

If desired you can substitute all of half of the orange juice for rum. This gives it more of a fruitcake feel.