Date Crumb Bars

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 lb whole pitted dates
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt
• 1 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Recipe

• 1 for the filling, combine the dates,brown sugar and orange juice in a medium saucepan.
• 2 cook over medium heat until the brown sugar dissolves.
• 3 simmer for 3 minutes or until the dates are tender and the syrup is thickened.
• 4 cool to room temperature.
• 5 stir in the vanilla and then process the mixture in a food processor until smooth.
• 6 for the crust, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
• 7 add the butter and rub in with the fingers until the mixture has the texture of coarse cornmeal and forms moist clumps.
• 8 press half the crumb mixture into the bottom of a buttered 9 x 13 baking pan.
• 9 spread the filling over the bottom crust.
• 10 for the topping, mix the walnuts with the remaining crumbs and sprinkle this mixture over the filling.
• 11 bake at 350*f for 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
• 12 cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• 13 cut into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.