Fig-Cranberry Oat Squares
I realize this is far from a June weekend sort of a recipe – but remember those bazillion baggies in my cupboard? I’m chipping away at them. Starting with the figs.
This weekend is the Food Bloggers’ Bake Sale in support of Calgary Meals on Wheels (at the Market Collective in the old Anthill building in Kensington -148-10 St NW- Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 11-5 – admission is $2 or a food bank donation) – I baked a half dozen Blueberry & Ginger Banana Loaves, Cranberry, White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Cookies, Brownies for a Crowd, Kettle Corn (that everyone ate while watching the World Cup), some Sponge Toffee (that I burnt all to hell) and these squares. Everyone knows and loves date squares (affectionately known as Matrimonial Slice for their popularity at weddings and showers in the fifties). Turns out they can take on any number of fillings; here cranberries are cooked down with dried figs to a thick jam, then spread in between layers of crumbly oats, butter and sugar. It really smacks of fall and back to school. No matter.
Fig-Cranberry Oat Squares (Matrimonial Slice)
Base & topping:
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour, or a combination
1 cup oats
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, chilledDate Filling:
1 250 g (8 oz.) pkg. dried figs
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup sugar, white or brown
3/4 cup orange juice or waterPreheat oven to 350°F.
In a small saucepan, combine the figs, cranberries, sugar and orange juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until the berries burst and the mixture becomes thick and jamlike. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and mix with a fork or your fingers until the mixture is well combined and crumbly. (Alternatively, the mixture can be pulsed in a food processor until well combined.) Press half the crumbs into an 8” x 8” pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Spread the filling over the crust, and sprinkle with remaining crumbs, squeezing as you go to create bigger clumps. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until pale golden and bubbly around the edges. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Makes 16 squares.
Speaking of food (and aren’t I always?) I have a good food read to give away for Free Stuff Friday – a copy of Tara Austen Weaver’s The Butcher and the Vegetarian, an excellent summer read. (Hey, if you do see summer, can you send it over? Thanks.) Congrats to Jill, who got that bowl filled with cookies, and Erica, who I got to hang out with at GalleryCalorie last weekend!
What I’d really like to know is: what was for dinner last night?
June 18 2010 | cookies & squares | 37 Comments »
