Date Squares - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 c. chopped dates
1 1/2 c. flour (may take a little more)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 c. shortening, melted
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1 c. brown sugar

Preparation

Place water, sugar and chopped dates in saucepan and boil until thick and smooth.
Cool until lukewarm.
Mix the flour, salt, oatmeal, shortening, pecans and brown sugar together to form crumbs for the crust.
Grease a brown paper bag well and line an 8-inch square pan.
Place 3/4 of the crumbs in the pan and pack down.
Add date mixture and cover with remaining crumbs.
Bake 45 minutes at 350\u00b0.
Cut into squares while still warm, but not hot. These are easy to mail as gifts because they don't fall apart.