This recipe is traditional in the Walsh family.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups uncooked oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 cups chopped pitted Medjool dates Majhūl dates
- 3/4 cup or less sugar
- Grated rind of one or two orange(s)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup water
- Combine flour, oats. baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Firmly press half the mixture in a buttered 12 x 8 x 2 baking pan. (Note: I use a food processor for this, so I put in only half the oatmeal when combining the ingredients and cutting in the butter. Then I add the rest and gently stir it so that some oatmeal remains whole.)
- Combine dates, sugar (note, I have made this with about 1/3 cup of sugar and it worked well) , orange rind, juice and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Cool a bit before spreading evenly on the bar mixture in the pan. Cover with remaining oatmeal mixture and press it to the date filling
- Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into 2 x 1 inch bars while warm.
