Oatmeal bars with dates and walnuts
Instructions:
- You can use a blender or a food processor to grind the rolled oats; 1 1 / 4 cups rolled oats yields 1 cup ground.
- 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 ground 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
- Preheat the oven to 350ï€ F. Whisk together the ground oats, flour, 1 cup whole oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large bowl; set aside.
- Put the 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 the eggs and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce speed to low. Add the oat mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in the walnuts and dates.
- Coat a 9 Ã—ï€ 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the dish. Scatter the remaining 1 / 2 cup whole oats over the top. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack; cut into bars