dad’s favourite date slice

September 05 2010 by in Cooking | 3 Comments

I lost my dad too young. My interest in food has its origins as much from dad’s passion for eating as it does from the baking of my mum, Aunty Dossie and Aunty Mona. Dad took us to restaurants while we were still young children. Sometimes we went to ‘exotic’ places like the Sukiyaki Rooms in Kings Cross where the menus were not in English and we had to take off our shoes to sit on tatami. My brother and I bothed ‘played’ restaurants at home cooking for mum and dad, and then both went on to cook in restaurants.

Today, on Fathers’ Day, I was looking through some of mum’s old handwritten cookbooks. Only one recipe mentions dad. This one titled: “Dad’s Favourite Date Slice”

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup coconut
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup sugar
125 g (4oz) butter
1 egg

Add melted butter to sifted flour and other dry ingredients. Mix well. Add lightly beaten egg. Press into greased tin and bake for around 20 minutes in a slow oven. (mum’s slow varies – i’d say from experience this should be more like moderate to slow around 140C / 280F - time will depend on the size of the tin)

Cut into fingers when cold.

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3 Responses to “dad’s favourite date slice”

  1. Julie Manfredi Hughes says:
    September 06 2010 at 5:40 am

    Hi Rebecca, i love these two date based baking recipes. My Mum never baked, however my Dad’s mother , Nanna Ette was a wonderful home baker. Her afternoon teas were legendary with the gem scones, creme puffs, cinnamon tea cake, pikelets and jam, while the tarts with her home made jams are memorable. Alas, despite my efforts , her cookbook or recipes are no where to be found . Date scones were one of my favourites and as i grew up , always enjoyed to bake these kinds of classic aussie afternoon treats.
    Ok, get out the tray mobile, you have inspired me to get baking!
    Happy Fathers’ Day

    Reply
    • Rebecca Varidel says:
      September 06 2010 at 9:56 am

      Thanks for sharing your family memories Julie. Yes I love those classic afternoon teas. I’d forgotten about date scones. It’s been donkeys’ years since I’ve had them. Think they might be on the agenda soon. Oodles!

      Reply

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