A mid-1930s Toll House cookbook, from the famous Massachusetts inn of the same name, includes a recipe for Honolulu Date Squares. It’s an old-fashioned cookie with a gooey date filling enclosed in a rich, cookielike crust. This pie is based on those bars. If you are timid about dough making, note that this pie is made with a press-in-the-pan crust and a sprinkled-on topping that require no rolling pin. Some dates feel moist and sticky; others are naturally firmer and drier. Depending on yours, you might need to use more water in cooking.
Makes one 9-inch pie
DATE FILLING
3 cups whole pitted dates, about 12 ounces
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup water, plus more if needed
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons rum
COOKIE CRUST
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups uncooked oatmeal
½ cup brown sugar
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
To make the date filling, using a sharp knife or scissors, coarsely cut the dates. (Running the blade under cold water periodically will help when you are cutting sticky fruit.) Put them in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the brown sugar, ¾ cup water, apple, and salt. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is quite thick; a blob of it lifted in a spoon should be moist but hold its shape. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, then stir in the rum. If at this point the mixture appears very stiff and sticky, stir in another tablespoon or two of water.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat the inside of a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray, or smear it with a thin film of butter.
While the dates cool, prepare the cookie crust. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and sift them together into a large bowl. Add the oatmeal and brown sugar and stir together with a fork or whisk. Add the butter and stir briskly until you have a crumbly looking mixture. Press 1 cup of the mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Spread with the date filling, then distribute the remaining crust mixture over the top; it will be in irregular bits, so don’t worry about making it perfectly even. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the bits of topping have browned and spread slightly.
Serve warm or at room temperature.