Maple-Date Bars

Maple-Date Bars
from Ellen's kitchen, thanks to Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients:

Maple Date Bars

• 1 3/4 cups finely chopped pitted dates (about 12 oz)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• cooking spray

Combine:

• dates, water, and maple syrup in heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, cook 12 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently (mixture will look like jam). 
• Stir in rind; cool completely.

Preheat:

• oven to 400.

Beat:

• sugar and butter with mixture at medium speed until smooth.  

Combine:

• flour, oats, baking, soda, and salt in separate bowl.  Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture (end result will be crumbly).  Press 2 cups of mixture into bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan coated with cooking spray.  

Spread:

• cooled date mixture over flour mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture.

Bake:

• at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  

Cut:

• into 24 servings, and wrap individually, or place in cookie tin between layers of wax or parchment paper.