recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-01-31
From: Nancy,.SanFran

The Ultimate Date Bars
Recipe By : General Mills
Serving Size : 32

Date Filling -- (recipe follows)
1 cup butter or margarine -- softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
DATE FILLING
2 8 ounce packages pitted dates -- chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water

Prepare Date Filling; cool.

Heat oven to 400º. Mix butter and brown sugar in large bowl with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press half of the oat mixture in ungreased rectangular pan, 13 × 9 × 2 inches. Spread with filling. Top with remaining oat mixture; press gently into filling.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool 30 minutes. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows while warm.

DATE FILLING:

Mix all ingredients in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Yield: 32 Bars

In a hurry? Use the chopped dates, which are lightly coated with sugar to prevent sticking. If you choose to chop your own whole dates, try one of these methods to help prevent sticking: Spray your knife with cooking spray several times during chopping, run your knife under cold water several times during chopping or cut-up dates using kitchen shears sprayed with cooking spray.

Add some tang with the tart flavor of dried apricots. For Date-Apricot Bars, skip the Date Filling. In its place mix an 8-ounce box of chopped dates, 1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots (8 ounces), 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool and continue as directed.