Fancy a prune? How ’bout a date?

Things areeeeeee happening!

Leaves have fallen, scarves have been purchased, leases have been signed, boxes have been packed, and dates have been pureed.

Yep, stuff is going down in funky town. Exciting things, sad things, scary things… but also delicious things. In the form of date squares. Very simple, very delicious and somewhat healthy. I used to think that dates squares were for old people. Totally for old people.

I think I associated them with prunes. Which definitely carry negative connotations of being primarily enjoyed by senior citizens, in juice form… weird.

I hated prunes when I was little. You know why?! Yeah youuuu know. I’m looking at you Dad… and those god awful prune muffins you made that ONE time. I honestly don’t even remember if they were that bad, but my brother and I made a point of hating them and never letting my Dad live it down.

Hey Dad… Member that time you made those horrible prune muffins…? yeah… me too.

Funny thing is, my Dad is now an incredible baker. Like top-notch. After the Prune-muffin incident (henceforth known as The PMI), I don’t think he baked again until I was in highschool. Or maybe he did and I blocked it out of my memory because of The PMI. Anyway, I was uber skeptical of his baking for a while, but day after day I would come home from school and there would be warm muffins, cookies and scones piled high on the kitchen table. It didn’t take long for me to forget all about the PMI. And when I did… there were muffins to consume on the regular. And consume them I did. Two at a time.

However, that is not really the point. The point is, I thought dates were gross, until I finally tasted my Dad’s date squares. After crossing over to the vegan-side, I thought that date-squares should be an easy treat to re-create vegan styles. I found this great recipe on OhSheGlows. Check it out. And make it!

I’ve presented these date squares to many a people, all of whom have been thoroughly impressed given the simple ingredient list. These can easily be made raw and gluten free!

Date-Squares
From OhSheGlows!

1 1/2 c. roasted almonds

1 1/2 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. (or slightly more) melted coconut oil

3 c pitted dates

First, add 2 1/2 c. of the chopped dates to 1/2 c. of boiling water.

For the crust, put the almonds, salt and oats in the food processor and blend into a fine crumble. Add about 1/2 c. of chopped dates and blend until combined. Add the coconut oil and blend once more until the crumble is sticky.

Set aside 1/2 c. for crumbling on top, and then pack the rest into an 8″x8″ parchment lined pan. Press down the crumble until it is packed in.

Next, blend up the remaining dates and boiling water until a paste is formed. Scoop the paste on top of the crust and spread until even. Sprinkle the remaining crumble on top and press lightly.

Allow the squares to set in the freezer for 1-2 hours before slicing and enjoying! Keep in freezer or fridge, as the coconut oil needs to stay solid to hold everything together.

yum.

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