The Ultimate Date Bar |
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The Ultimate Date Bar: Date Filling (see below) 1 cup margarine or butter (softened) (butter gives it a better flavor) 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Prepare date filling and let cool. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix margarine and brown sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press half of the mixture in ungreased rectangular pan 13x 9x 2 inches. Spread with date filling (a jam could also be used). Top with remaining crumbly mixture. Press lightly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool for 30 minutes. Cut into bars while warm. Makes 32 bars. Date Filling: 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 2 8 oz packages chopped dates (you could use whole dates and chop them yourself. Some of the chopped dates come in 10 oz packages but that's okay since it just provides a little more filling.) Contributed by Nicola Pellegrini |