This is a classic recipe for Date Oatmeal Bars. They are not too sweet, but still crispy crust and great chewy center. They also freeze well. My wife happened to come across this recipe while looking for dessert ideas using dates. She found this recipe in the Betty Crocker Kitchen. Who would have guessed?
History of Dates
Dates are cultivated from the Date Palm. Fossil records show that the date palm has existed for at least 50 million years (Wikipedia). They have been a staple food of the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years. Dates are believed to have originated around what is now Iraq. Today, Egypt is the largest producer in the world of the sweet fruit, cultivating 1.6M tonnes per year.
Dates also provide a wide range of essential nutrients, and are a very good source of dietary potassium. The sugar content of ripe dates is about 80%; the remainder consists of protein, fiber, and trace elements including boron, cobalt, copper, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
The Versatile Date
Growing up with a Moroccan mom, we grew up with dates in many of our desserts. They were eaten out-of-hand, or pitted and stuffed with fillings such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, candied orange and lemon peel, tahini, marzipan or cheese.
Making Date Oatmeal Bars
This recipes takes about an hour to make, but it provides eating pleasure for days! Starting with pitted, chopped dates, add water and sugar and slowly simmer to make the filling (We substituted the chopped dates with date paste and orange blossom water – to not only turn it up a notch, but use some ingredients we’ve had for a while).
The next step is to make the bar mixture. Mix the sugar, butter, flour, oats, baking soda and salt to create the crumbly base and top. In a greased 13″x9″ pan, take 1/2 the mixture and compact it firmly to cover the bottom. Then, spread the date filling evenly to cover the first layer. The last step is to use the remaining 1/2 of the bar mixture and spread over the top. Tip: Do not compact this layer. Instead, you want it to remain crumbly after baking.
Finally, bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes in pan on cooling rack. Then cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm.
Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I hope you enjoy this sweet treat. And don’t forget to checkout my Kosher Cowboy date recipes.
Date Oatmeal Bars
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
Date Filling
- 3 cups pitted dates (1 lb chopped )
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Bars
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup butter (or margarine, softened)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose (or whole wheat flour)
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions
- In 2-quart saucepan, cook filling ingredients over low heat about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool 5 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13×9-inch pan with shortening.
- In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until well mixed. Stir in flour, oats, baking soda and salt until crumbly. Press half of the crumb mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining crumb mixture; press lightly.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes in pan on cooling rack. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm.
