This past spring, the world lost an amazing woman who was loved by many, many people. Kriste Mott was a constant in my childhood - she was incredibly supportive of not only her own children, but of their friends as well. She raised one of my very best friends, Brooke, so I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time growing up with them. Brooke and I went through school and Girl Scouts together and even got our Gold Awards together. I spent countless pizza nights at her house and our families went on multiple trips - Mexico and weekends spent at their cottage up in Sandusky were some of my favorites! I am grateful to have seen Mrs. Mott last year when she came down to South Carolina for a visit, and she brought me a set of gorgeous hand-made napkins that I will forever cherish and keep in an honored place in my kitchen.
One of my fondest memories of Mrs. Mott was her baking. Whenever I was over hanging out with Brooke, she always had something sweet coming out of the oven for us to snack on. Her light and positive energy lives on through Brooke, who has already done so much to honor her mother's legacy. Brooke was gracious enough to share some of her mom's recipes with me this summer and gave me permission for this post. These date bars are an elevated Fig Newton! My hope, and I'm sure this is Brooke's hope as well, is that all those who read this are able to make this recipe and remember Mrs. Mott for the kind, giving, gifted woman she always was. May the warmth that fills your kitchen and your stomach through this recipe, warm your heart as well.
Servings: 9
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup pitted dates, quartered (if you can't find them at the grocery store you can order them on Amazon, here)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
On the stove, combine the dates, sugar, and water in a small pot over medium heat and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Near the end of the cooking process, use a potato masher to create a smooth paste out of the date mixture. Let cool for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar. Slowly add the flour, oatmeal, and baking soda and mix to combine.
Spread half of the oatmeal mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and press down. Spread the date mixture on top the bottom crust, making sure to spread all the way to the edges. Spread and press the remaining oatmeal mixture on top.
Bake for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown when it comes out of the oven.
Enjoy with the ones you love!
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