Party Date Bars

Yield: 24 bars

Oatmeal-shortbread crust with a sweet date center, topped with an oatmeal crumble. This is an Irish recipe, but essentially the same as the ones I used to make from the Betty Crocker cookbook so many years ago.

Filling:

2

cups

pitted dates

250

grams

½

cup

brown sugar

3½

ounces

100

grams

½

cup

orange juice

125

ml

1

med

apple, chopped

Crumb Crust:

2

cups

sifted flour (plain)

10

ounces

285

grams

1

tsp

baking soda

5

ml

1

tsp

salt

5

ml

2

cups

quick or old-fashioned oats

6

ounces

170

grams

2

cups

brown sugar, firmly packed

15

ounces

425

grams

1

cup

butter or margarine; melted

8

ounces

225

grams

1

tsp

cinnamon

1

dash

cloves

1

dash

nutmeg

1

cup

toasted almonds

3½

ounces

100

grams

Preheat oven to 350°F [175C]. Line 9” x 13” [23 cm x 33 cm] pan.

Filling:

Combine dates, sugar, orange peel and orange juice in medium-sized saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until thickened. Cool. Stir in nutmeats.

Crust:

Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add oats and sugar; mix well. Stir in butter; mix until crumbly.
Firmly press 2/3 of mixture into baking pan.
Spread filling evenly over crumb base. Top with remaining crumb mixture; pack lightly.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool; cut in bars.

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