Date Squares

This was printed by The Montreal Gazette. Every Wednesday they printed recipes and recipe ideas, and many of them come from cookbooks or chefs. This one comes from chef Michele Fireman. I've tried this several times, and it's always a hit in the house.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 18 squares

Ingredients

• Date filling

• 1  lb  chopped pitted dates
• 1  cup water
• 2⁄3 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2  lemon, juice of
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch

• Base and topping

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups rolled oats

Directions

1. For the date filling: Combine the dates, water, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a medium saucepan, stirring often, until thick and smooth, about ten minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. In a mixing bowl cream butter, then cream in sugar.
4. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
5. Blend flour mixture into the butter mixture, then blend in the rolled outs.
6. Grease a square Pyrex baking dish 8x8 inches/2L (I use a square baking pan of the same size).
7. Put half the rolled oats mixture evenly over the bottom. Spread the cooled dates over the base. Then add the remaining rolled oats mixture over the dates.
8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until nice and brown.
9. Cool in pan. Cut into squares or bars.
10. It can be frozen, but in my house it's usually gone within the next few days.