Date Bar Dessert

MY MOTHER copied this recipe from a Quaker Oats box in the 1950s, and it remains one of our favorite treats today.
I serve these date-filled squares as a snack or for dessert topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
-Jill McCon, Montrose, Michigan18 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 2-1/2 cups chopped dates
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Whipped topping
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda
- and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press
- into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.
- In a large saucepan, combine the dates, sugar and water. Cook for 10
- minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in walnuts.
- Spread over crust.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into
- squares; top with whipped topping. Yield: 18 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 323 calories, 13 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 27 mg cholesterol, 244 mg sodium,