Recipe Fridays!

Oatmeal Bars with Dates and Walnuts

from Martha Stewart

I can't say that I'm a big fan of oatmeal in the mornings; it always looks to me like a big old bowl of snot. But, but oatmeal in a dessert, and you can go ahead and sign me up;) And, these bars add dates to the mix, which I can eat all by themselves (second only to figs in my heart).

Ingredients

Makes 2 dozen

1 cup finely ground old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups packed light-brown sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups walnuts (5 1/2 ounces), toasted and chopped
1 cup dates (5 ounces), pitted and chopped
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together ground oats, flour, 1 cup whole oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large bowl; set aside.

Put brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Reduce speed to low. Add oat mixture, and mix until just combined. Mix in walnuts and dates.

Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread batter evenly in dish. Scatter remaining 1/2 cup whole oats over top. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; cut into bars.