• ¾ cups unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
• 1¾ cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ cups rolled oats
• 1 recipe Date Pecan Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and brown sugar. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and oats and stir into butter mixture until well blended.
3. Press half of the crust into a 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking dish patting lightly. Spread with cooled filling. Cover with remaining crust mixture, patting lightly.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

Yield: 24 date pecan bars

Date Pecan Filling

• 3 cups dates; coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ cups water
• 1 cup pecan pieces; finely chopped

1. Mix together dates, sugar and water in saucepan and cook heat for about 10 minutes over low, stirring constantly, until thickened.Allow to cool. Add pecans