Texas Cowboy Bars

Texas Cowboy Bars
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 150.

I had plenty of oatmeal in the pantry as well as dates that I didn't use for the holiday baking. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try. These are quite scrumtous, a little crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I thought they were better the next day. The recipe says that it makes about 24 bars but if you cut them into bite sized pieces, you will get much more than that.

Make the filling first:

Filling

8 oz. (1 cup) pitted dates
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

Cut the dates into small pieces, put them in a saucepan with the water and sugar.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Let it boil for about 10-12 minutes until thick. Keep stirring occasionally and reduce the heat if it starts to splatter.

Stir in the lemon rind and set aside.

Crust

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 oz. (1/2 cup) walnuts or pecans, cut medium fine
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Adjust oven rack 1/3 from the bottom and preheat to 350. Line a 9-inch square pan (bottom and sides) with aluminum foil. Butter the foil.

Stir together the flour, salt and sugar.

Add the oatmeal.

Add the nuts.

Add the melted butter and stir.

Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside for the topping. Place the remaining mixture in the pan and smooth it out with your fingertips.

Spread the date mixture over the crust.

Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup of crust over the top.

Spread it evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for another 45 minutes. Cover with a rack and carefully invert it to remove the foil. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes or just enough to get it firm. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares.