CRANBERRY DATE BARS

Cranberry Date Bars image

Provided by Sandy Young

Categories Cookies

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 12 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1 8 oz. pkg. chopped dates
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c butter or margarine, melted
GLAZE
2 c sifted confectioners' sugar
2 - 3 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

1. In a saucepan, over low heat, simmer cranberries, dates, and water for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in butter until well blended.
3. Pat half the oat mixture into an ungreased 13"x9"x2" baking pan. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Spoon cranberry mixture over crust. Sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture. Pat gently.
4. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until browned. Cool.
5. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over bars. Yield: 3 dozen bars.
6. You might want sometimes to serve bar cookies with ice cream. Not so with these! They're so yummy by themselves that nothing else is needed except, maybe, a good cup of coffee.
7. Susan uses only half the glaze recipe, but I LOVE confectioners' sugar, so I use all of it!