This Classic Caramel Date Slice recipe is a delicious chewy slice which makes a great afternoon tea treat!
This recipe comes from an old newspaper cut out in a cook book my Mum gave me years ago. Judging from the yellowed paper and my ‘artwork’ on the corner of the page, I’m going to say that it’s a good 30 + years old.
We re-discovered this recipe a few weeks ago when we were on the hunt for a ‘yellow’ cake recipe. We discovered it just at the right time, as we had some Medjool Dates which needed to be used after Mr 8 had decided he no longer enjoyed them as a treat – although he has been eating them for the past 3 years….
The key to getting the ‘caramel’ into this slice is making sure that you cook the butter and sugar long enough that the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture has turned a caramel brown colour. After baking you are left with a chewy and sweet slice that is best cut into ‘fingers’ and goes perfectly with an afternoon cup of tea.
Tips for Making this Caramel Date Slice:
- Make sure that you cut your slice while it is still warm in the baking tin. Please then allow it to cool completely in the tin before transferring to a container to store, this will help it to ‘set’.
- You can use pitted dates in this recipe instead of Medjool Dates.
- It’s important to cook the butter and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has turned a lovely ‘caramel’ colour.
- This slice is best stored in an airtight container in the pantry for up to one week.
You can find more easy slice recipes in our ThermoBliss Slices Book – you can also browse all of our books, eBooks and products here.
Classic Caramel Date Slice Recipe
Equipment
- 28 x 18cm slice tin
Ingredients
- 125 grams butter
- 125 grams caster sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup self raising flour
- ¾ cup chopped medjool dates approximately 15 dates
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- Line an 18 x 28cm slice tin with baking paper and set aside until needed.
- Cut the butter into cubes and place it into a large saucepan (you want it to be big enough to hold all of your ingredients) which has been heated over a medium heat. Add the caster sugar and stir continuoulsy for 4 - 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble rapidly and has turned a lovely golden brown colour. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Place the egg into a cup and gently beat with a fork. Add the vanilla extract and stir before pouring into your saucepan and stir to combine.
- Working quickly, add the self raising flour, salt and chopped dates. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking tin and place into your preheated oven to cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
- Carefully remove the baking tin from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before carefully slicing into fingers while the slice is still hot.
- Once the slice has completely cooled, remove from the tin and enjoy.
Thermomix Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees celsius and line an 18 x 28cm slice tin with baking paper.
- Place the butter and caster sugar into your Thermomiw bowl and cook for 4 minutes, 80 degrees, speed 2.
- Add the dates which have had the pip removed and mix 2 - 3 times using the 1 sec turbo function until chopped to your liking.
- Scrape down the sides of your Thermomix bowl and add the egg, vanilla extract, self raising flour and salt. Mix for 10 seconds, speed 4, REVERSE to combine.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a further 5 seconds, speed 4 on REVERSE.
- Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking tin and place into your preheated oven to cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
- Carefully remove the baking tin from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before carefully slicing into fingers while the slice is still hot.
- Once the slice has completely cooled, remove from the tin and enjoy.
Notes
Enjoy!
Sandy Toth
If you love crystalized ginger(100gm diced) can be added to the recipe and 1/2 -1 tsp ginger powder and some all spice. An elderly lady gave me her version
Kate
This recipe sounds delish! But Medjool dates can be quite expensive! Would love to know, if this recipe will turn out just as good in the end, if I were to use normal dried dates instead? Which are alot more easily accessible & more affordable!
Thankyou
Lauren Matheson
Hi Kate you can use pitted dates, I’d suggest soaking them in boiling water for 10/15 minutes first.
Glenys Zawada
I love all your recipes. I am just a simple cook, not very good one, but I love trying your recipes and I write them out and keep in folders. Thankyou from Glenys
Kate
I’ve just made this, it was very thick and hard to spread. Will have to try again as I don’t think I cooked the butter and sugar long enough, I used the thermomix recipe and followed it without any changes. Will see what it’s like out of the oven.
Kate
I tried again in the thermomix (tm5) and tried cooking it for longer to get it caramel coloured to no avail. My husband loves it though so I might just have to try the traditional way, maybe using the thermomix to chop the dates. Will try medjool dates next time too.
Suzanne
Can this slice be frozen?
Lauren Matheson
Hi Suzanne, it sure can 🙂
Subrata Chakrabarti .
Wonderful .
Tamara Breadon
Hi just wondering if this would work with a straight swap of GF flour?
Lauren Matheson
I haven’t tried it GF, it should be ok though.