Today is the day! Time to start making some holiday cookies and such to give to friends and co-workers.
One of my all-time favorites is date bars, and I'll be keeping these for us home folks! My mother used to make them at Christmas, and I didn't like them much until I was in my teens. Then the rich bars became one of my favorites.
Here is the recipe. It's simple and I've never had a failure (although today could be the day--you never know...)
DATE BARS
Date filling:
3 cups of chopped dates
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of water
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Mix these ingredients in a small, heavy saucepan and cook for 10 minutes or until thick. (Add walnut pieces if you like (I don't). Probably 1/2 cup to a cup, depending on your taste.)
Crumb crust:
In a separate bow, mix:
1 3/4 cups of oatmeal
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of butter or margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon (this is optional, but I like it)
Mix the first three ingredients together; cut in the butter. Put half of the oatmeal mixture in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread the date filling on top. Cover with the remaining rest of crumb mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Cool slightly, then cut into squares while still warm.
I started making cookies today too for my coworkers. I owe them a lot of thanks. I'm making them 7 layer bars, applesauce cake, and white chocolate chip swirl cookies. I don't know why it is so fun to bake for others - it just is.
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