This is a quick and easy recipe that is well-loved in our family. My mother brought this recipe to our family reunions and church social events from the 1930s through the 1980s. The dish was always empty when she took it home.
Makes 24 squares
1 (8-ounce) package pitted dates, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
* Combine the dates, granulated sugar, and 1 cup water in saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until it becomes a thick applesauce; set aside to cool.
* Thoroughly mix the brown sugar and butter together in a bowl. Set aside.
* Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and oats in a large bowl and mix. Add the brown sugar mixture to the oat mixture and stir to make a crumble.
* Pat half of the crumbly oat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the date mixture on top and then cover with the remaining oat mixture. Pat lightly into the filling.
* Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before cutting into squares.
~Ruth Rishel Gleim
York, Pennsylvania