Brown Sugar Date Squares
"I've used this recipe for years," shares Suzanne Caithamer of Cincinnati, Ohio. "It's a wonderful addition to care packages and holiday cookie exchanges. Even people who don't like dates love them!" You can cut larger squares and add a scoop of ice cream to serve as a dessert. SERVINGS 24 CATEGORY Dessert METHOD Baked PREP 25 min. COOK 25 min. TOTAL 50 min. INGREDIENTS a.. 1 pound pitted whole dates b.. 2/3 cup packed brown sugar c.. 2/3 cup orange juice d.. 3 teaspoons vanilla extract e.. CRUST: f.. 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour g.. 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats h.. 1 cup packed brown sugar i.. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon j.. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda k.. Dash salt l.. 1 cup cold butter, cubed m.. 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts n.. Vanilla ice cream, optional DIRECTIONS In a small saucepan, combine the dates, brown sugar and orange juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until thickened and dates are tender, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Carefully spread with date mixture. Stir walnuts into remaining crumb mixture. Sprinkle over filling; press down gently. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Serve with ice cream if desired. Yield: 2 dozen. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
