Grandma's Unsweetened Rolled Oat Cookies

These heritage Canadian sandwich cookies split the sweetness in a clever way. The cookie itself has zero sugar, just oats, flour, baking soda, and shortening cut together like a pie crust. All the sweetness comes from the date filling sandwiched between two thin, crispy wafers.

The icebox method is essential. After mixing, the dough gets rolled into a log, wrapped, and refrigerated overnight. This firms the shortening and makes the dough rigid enough to slice into paper-thin wafers, about ⅛ inch thick. Try slicing it at room temperature and you’ll get crumbly, uneven rounds that fall apart on the sheet.

The date filling cooks low and slow for 30 minutes, breaking down the chopped dates into a thick, sticky paste with just a touch of sugar and vanilla. It needs to cool completely before spreading between cookies, or the heat softens the wafers and they lose their snap.

Chef Tips

• Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs, just like making pie dough. Overworking melts the shortening and makes the cookies tough instead of flaky.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the chilled dough. A dull blade crushes and drags the roll, giving you uneven cookies.
• Watch these closely in the oven. At ⅛ inch thin, they go from underbaked to burnt in about 2 minutes. Pull when the edges just start to firm up.
• Store assembled cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers. The date filling can make them stick together.

Variations

• Replace dates with dried figs cooked the same way for a slightly nuttier, less caramel-like filling.
• Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the cookie dough for a warm spice note that complements the dates.
• Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on one cookie before adding the date filling for a tangy, richer sandwich.