Date to Remember Bars Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup (100 g) Spectrum Organic Shortening
• 1 cup (225 g) packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (125 g) Bob’s Red Mill white or brown rice flour or sorghum flour
• ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
• ¾ cup (94 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
• 1½ cups (120 g) certified gluten-free rolled oats

• 3 cups (500 g) sulfite-free dates, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup (50 g) superfine sugar
• 1½ cups (355 ml) water

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
2. To make the cookie base: In a food processor, combine the cookie base ingredients and pulse until it resembles crumbs. Press half the mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking pan. Set the other half of the mixture aside.
3. To make the filling: Place the dates, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Cool.
4. Spread date mixture on cookie base crust in pan. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly over the date filling.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly. While still warm, cut into bars and remove from pan.