Old Fashioned Date Nut Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

BASE
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter
3 eggs
1/2 lb walnuts, ground
1 lemon, juice and zest of
FILLING
2 cups dates, cut fine
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
TOPPING
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter

Preparation

Combine filling ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes till thickened. Set aside and let cool.
For the base, sift together dry ingredients.
Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, and dry ingredients and walnuts. Add lemon juice and zest to moisten.
Spread on a cookie sheet and up the sides.
Spread cooled filling over crust.
Combine filling ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle on top and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minute.
Original recipe calls for the bars to be baked on a cookie sheet pan. We like them thicker, so I put them in a 9 X 13 cake pan.
Cool and cut unto bars.
To serve sprinkle liberally with 10X sugar.