When I was a little girl, my mom used to make me date bars. They were from a packaged mix, like Betty Crocker or something, but I loved them. Over the years, I have been forever searching for a natural, healthful recipe for date bars. At last I have found it (with a few slight modifications), thanks to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (this is her recipe), of Compassionate Cooks. She has two books, The Joy of Vegan Baking, and The Vegan Table. All of her recipes are delish, and I can't wait until her new cookbook comes out this year.
Ingredients--Filling
* *1¼ cups filtered water
* *16 to 18 pitted dates, coarsely chopped
* *½ teaspoon salt
* *1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients--Topping
* *3 cups organic quick-cooking oats
* *1½ cups unbleached all-purpose oranic flour
* *½ cup granulated organic sugar
* *½ teaspoon salt
* *½ teaspoon baking powder
* *½ teaspoon baking soda
* * 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* *¾ cup non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, melted (such as Earth Balance)
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* *¼ cup canola oil
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* *¼ cup filtered water (optional)
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Directions
* Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square or 9x13-inch pan. (The smaller the pan, the thicker your bars will be.)
* To make the filling, in a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. (Chop the dates while you're waiting for the water to boil.) Add the dates and the salt and simmer until the dates are soft and mix easily with the water. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and set aside to cool.
* To make the topping, in a large bowl, thoroughly combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the butter and oil, and stir together until totally combined with the dry mixture. You want it to be moist but not wet. If you need to add more moisture, add some of the optional water until it's the right consistency.
* Press half of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the date mixture over the top, spreading it out so it thoroughly covers the crust. Pour the remaining half of the crust mixture over the top of the dates. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars.
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* Yield: 10 to 12 bars, depending on the size
