Spiced date and orange squares

Another recipe from the Cornucopia cookbook, though a slightly modified one — apple concentrate, the sweetener in the original recipe, wasn’t to be found for love nor money on Sunday afternoon, and how to replace it with common or garden sugar was a pure guess (Google was also unforthcoming).  Still, it worked out pretty well, and I’ve given the recipe as I made it rather than as printed.  The mixture makes 16 sizeable squares, and (according to the book) freezes well.

Recipe after the jump.

Ingredients

400g chopped dates
600g white flour
2tsp ground ginger
2tsp mixed spice
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
200g caster sugar
Pinch salt
Zest of 2 oranges
Juice of 2 oranges
Dash of vinegar
250ml sunflower oil
1 level tsp bicarb of soda

Method

Preheat oven to gas 4.  Line tray (20 x 25 x 5cm) with greaseproof (or make it to the requisite measurements out of tin foil).  Put dates into a saucepan and cover with water; put over a low heat with lid on and simmer for 10 minutes until the dates are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid.  Set to one side to cool.

Mix together flour, spices, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add the orange zest and sugar, and mix again.

In a jug, combine orange juice, sunflower oil, vinegar and bicarb; stir to create a bubbling effect when the bicarb and vinegar react together.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, and add as much water as you need to (and you will) to create a thick but spreadable mixture.

Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and spread out evenly.  With a draining spoon, take the dates from the liquid in the saucepan and create a second layer over the first layer of cake mix, again as evenly as possible.  Now spoon the last of the cake mix (try dotting a spoonful into each corner of the tin and spread it out as best you can).  Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown all over.  Allow to cool in the tray before slicing into 16.  Eat within 24 hours, or freeze in individual portions for eating later.