Oatmeal Date Bars

I have been making this recipe since I was a teenager; I don’t know where it came from, perhaps "home economics" class. We still like it – not too much, not too rich, but perfect with a cup of coffee. Do cut the bars small; that’s all that’s needed. One of my pet peeves is giant coffee house cookies and dessert bars that would have fed 3 or 4 people back in the fifties; if you look at old photos, no one was obese back then.

Date Bars

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
1 pound pitted dates – chopped fairly fine
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
Prepare Date Filling; cool. Mix all ingredients in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
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.
Yield: "32 Bars"
Per Serving : 157 Calories; 6g Fat (33.4% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 123mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.