By The recipe Saturday was date bar dessert — oatmeal-and-brown-sugar shortbread with a date filling. Made for the December tin run. Eight tins this year. Gary and Linda Turner added.
The recipe is below.
Date Bar Dessert
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 2 cups pitted dates, chopped
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Make the date filling. In a small saucepan, combine chopped dates, water, and granulated sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8–10 minutes until the dates break down and the mixture thickens. Stir in lemon juice and set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Make the oat crumble. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add cold butter pieces and work them in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Layer the bars. Press half of the oat mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even crust layer. Spread the cooled date filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat crumble over the top and gently pat it down.
- Bake. Bake for 28–32 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
- Serve. Cut into 16 bars. Serve at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 265 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 45g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 130mg