These cookies are a love poem to my absolute favourite Canadian dessert – the date (or matrimonial, if you will) square! I’m saving the Canadian Trifecta of Love and Desserts for closer to Christmas, so this cookie is a tide-over for both you and me (the person who wishes for Christmas from February forward).
Chewy, not too sweet and even just a little bit healthful, I’m so glad I had this idea. My roommate is going on a long road trip and I’ve promised him cookies, but date squares are just a little too crumbly for a ziplock bag and 16 hours in a car per day. Shhh, this is a surprise, don’t tell him.
Absolutely perfect with a tall glass of almond milk, let me tell you.
Oatmeal Date Cookies
Makes 24 cookies
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon egg replacer + 1/4 cup water, well combined
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I used this one but subbed sorghum flour for the rice flour)
2 tablespoon hemp seeds (optional; I like the nutty taste it adds)
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum (yes, in addition to amount in your flour mix)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats
3/4 cup date pieces (I quartered about a dozen whole dates for this)
Preheat oven to 325 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg replacer and vanilla extract and beat to combine. The water in the egg replacer will not cream together with the mixture as you might like, but just keep going as it makes no difference. Add the flour, hemp seeds, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix together. Fold in the oats and then finally the date pieces. The date pieces may be a little sticky, so do your best to evenly distribute them in the dough. Drop by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 14 to 18 minutes. Cool on a baking rack. Eat for breakfast!
