Oatmeal Bar Cookie Recipe with Dates and Nuts ~ Family Memories plus Photos
By Peggy W
Oatmeal Date Nut Squares
Family recipe
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to my cousin Bill on the telephone. He lives in Peoria, Illinois and my husband and I live in Houston, Texas. When Bill and I were youngsters all living in the State of Wisconsin, we saw each other often during the year...in fact almost every or every other weekend all summer long and then at other times of the year as well.
My grandparents and parents lived in the countryside of Oconomowoc across the field from one another and later...even next door to one another.
My aunt and uncle and three cousins lived in Madison, Wisconsin at that time.
My dear grandparents had room enough in their home to put their daughter and family up when they came for visits and always enjoyed their visits.
My cousins and my brothers and I always had a great time playing together.
We rode bicycles; climbed trees; slid on boxes down into the nearby abandoned gravel pit; played jacks; hula hooped; had picnics; swam in the lake at my grandmother's house and did countless more things together as kids often do.
Bill and I talked about many things that day and among other topics he wondered if I had a copy of a cookie recipe that my grandmother had given to my mother and his mother. My mother died last year and his mother is no longer able to bake cookies. Fortunately I remembered the delicious oatmeal bar cookie that he requested and decided to make it this year as a part of my homemade cookie assortment that we give away as gifts. It not only has oatmeal as a prime ingredient, but also dates and nuts.
This stirred some family memories and I will share some photos with you in addition to the cookie recipe and step by step instructions.
My maternal grandmother
Family memories
My sweet maternal grandmother was not only a terrific seamstress and homemaker, but also a wonderful cook.
She canned produce from my grandfather's massive garden and threw dinner parties that drew rave reviews from their friends who often came from Milwaukee out into the countryside where my grandparents had retired.
When I was old enough she let me help her clean and get her house ready for those parties.
It was fun working alongside of my grandmother. My mother often kidded in later years that she never got the same assistance in cleaning at home. There it was a job! At Grandma's house...it was a different story. I am sure that other parents have had the same experience. Ha!
The pictures below show my mother and my Aunt Marge as young women. They learned how to cook by watching their mother (my grandmother) and assisting her when old enough.
They both became excellent cooks in their own right!
Photos of my mother and aunt
Click thumbnail to view full-size
bar cookie recipes
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Cookie ingredients
This one is per your request, Bill, and here are the ingredients for this Oatmeal Date Nut Squares Cookie:
- 1 3/4 cups oatmeal
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup dates cut in small pieces (they now come prepackaged that way)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts
Directions:
Start by mixing the oatmeal, flour, packed cup of brown sugar, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
Next step...
Cut in the chilled pieces of butter and use a blender to combine with the oatmeal / flour mixture until crumbly.
Set the mixture aside.
Combine and boil the dates, white sugar and water together until thick. Take time to stir this mixture and keep an eye on it. It will become quite darkened in color during this process.
When completed, add the chopped nuts.
Dates, sugar and water caramelizing together
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Pack 1/2 of the dry mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 by 9 inch pan.
I find that it is best to use one's fingers such as shown in this photo in place of a spoon or spatula.
Cover this mixture with the cooked date filling.
Add the remainder of the oatmeal crumb mixture and pack down well.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.
I turned the entire cooked Oatmeal Date Nut Squares cookie mixture out onto a wooden cutting board and used a large knife to slice across and cut into the desired shapes.
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Bar cookie recipe
Below is the final product...and scrumptious (if I do say so myself!)
This bar cookie recipe has a chewy candy-like interior because of the cooked date and sugar mixture and yet a crumbly delectable exterior because of the oatmeal mixture.
Hope you, the readers of this hub, will enjoy this family recipe as much as my cousin Bill and I have over the years.
Please leave a comment below if you decide to try out this recipe for yourself. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
Oatmeal Date Nut Squares
baking pans
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cookie jars
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Other cookie recipes you may enjoy...
- Old Fashioned Cookies from My Grandma ~ Chocolate Cookies for Chocolate Lovers
- Applesauce Cookies ~ Old Fashioned Cookie Recipe from My Grandma
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Pecan Fingers & M-M-M Good Cookies. - Cookie Gifts ~ How to Make Delicious Cookies with Photos and Instructions
Cherry Winks - Photos and Instructions of Easy to Make Homemade Cookies using Chocolate
Chocolate Crinkle cookies - Raisin Molasses Sugar Cookies ~ Family Recipe with Photos and Instructions
What do old manual typewriters have to do with this delicious cookie recipe? Read to discover... Hub of the Day Award Winner! - Ice Box Cookies ~ Family Recipe with Step by Step Photos
My mother remembered the days of ice boxes & this family cookie recipe goes back to those days or posssibly even further. Another Hub of the Day Award Winner! - Healthy Oatmeal Cookies Recipe ~ Quaker Oats Oatmeal Cookies ~ Baking ~ Gifts
- Easy Good Recipe - Christmas Cookies from our neighbor Mrs. Tanner
A little background of my teenaged years in McAllen, Texas and how and why this delicious Christmas cookie recipe was acquired. I continue to make it every year! - Sweetheart Heart Shaped Cookies for Valentines Day Gifts or Anytime
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Wheaties plus other simple ingredients.
Oatmeal Caramel Bars...(good tips for getting bar cookies out of a pan among other things)
Comments
I love the way that you have included the family story behind this recipe, very nice. The instructions are also clear and the photos really help to show the process.
Thanks for SHARING, up, useful and interesting.
Hi sofs,
These oatmeal date nut bar cookies are delicious! Hope that you like them as much as we do. It really brings back family memories for me. Thanks for your comment and happy baking!
Healthy and sounds like it is pretty easy to make .. I will try this maybe this weekend when I have a little more time on my hands. Thanks for sharing your family secrets. Have wonderful day..God Bless!
Hi again jbrock2041,
You are most welcome. Hope it helps!
I like that. It's a unique way to capture our attention and brings out different thoughts.
Thanks.
Hello jbrock2041,
I italicize certain phrases just for appearance sake sometimes; to break up the look of the text, or for more impact. It all depends upon my reasoning at the time.
Glad that you liked the photos and stories. Thanks for your comment.
I had a question the other day about how many photos to include in a hub and people said it depended and to keep it simple and it's interesting to look at hubs to see how photos are being used in hubs. I love how you bring photos into your recipes and share with us family memories through a story of pictures. One question for you: why do you italicize certain phrases?
I have never been a big fan of dates but this cookie looks pretty good and with the caramelized nuts I think I might just have to try them.
Hi Hanna,
This oatmeal bar cookie which is an old family favorite is truly good. Have you made this same one or one similar? Thanks for taking the time to leave your comment.
Thank you for sharing all you family with us. You have got my favourite recipe there. I love oatmeal cookies.
Hi Prasetio,
Hope you get to taste these oatmeal bar cookies. Since you like oatmeal...you should like them if you also like dates and nuts. Thanks for your comment, blessings and hugs. Appreciate it! :))
Hi, Peggy. How are you today? I hope you always fine and healthy....amen! I love oatmeal and I really liked this cookies as well. Thanks for share your old memories with. I enjoy all stunning pictures here. I must show this hub to my mother. I believe that she'll love your recipe. Well done and rated up!
Blessing and hugs, Prasetio
Hello carcro,
Nice to hear that you enjoyed this cookie recipe and trip down memory lane. Thanks for your comment.
Hello cherylone,
Hope that your daughter enjoys these oatmeal bar cookies as much as we do. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Om,
Let me know if you bake these oatmeal date nut bars. From what you say, I know that you will like them. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Eddy,
Glad that you enjoyed reading about a few of my memories with regard to this delicious oatmeal bar cookie recipe. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Carrie,
These oatmeal date nut bars are mouth watering! I can bake batches of different cookies and never even taste them once they are a tried and true recipe. Not so these!!! Thanks for your comment.
Hello ImChemist,
Thanks for your comment on these oatmeal bar cookies. Hope you enjoy them.
Great recipe, just love oatmeal in anything. Thanks for the info and a nice trip down memory lane! Voted up!
Hello SanneL,
Glad you enjoyed a bit of history regarding these family favorite oatmeal date nut bar cookies. When I was small, cutting the sticky dates into small pieces was a chore. Now they come prepackaged in small bits which makes this recipe so much easier to assemble. Thanks for your comment and votes.
Hi Lela,
I'm not sure how sugar substitutes would work in this oatmeal bar cookie for those people who have diabetes. As you say...maybe just a small taste of one! Thanks for your comment.
Adding memories with a great recipe, I think that is wonderful. I would like to share this one with my daughter as well. She just loves to bake.
My mouth is watering right now. Dates, nuts and oatmeals....mmmmm all my favorite ingredients. Thanks for sharing the recipe and also your family photos. Lovely!
Hi peggy,
Thank you so much for sharing thios gem with us. Again I bookmark plus vote up.
Very well presented and so nice to see your photos and hear of your memories.
Take care and have a wonderful day.
Eddy.
hi peggy!! this oatmeal delicacy looks exceptionally mouth watering.
carrie
Very nice hub with very beautiful pictures , thank you . rated
Such a lovely hub!
It was very nice to read the history behind these oatmeal bar cookies. I will definitely try them out. Thanks for sharing.
Bookmarked, voted up and useful!
Hello moonlake,
Short synopsis to be sure regarding my childhood in Wisconsin. I loved it there! These oatmeal bar cookies are good. Maybe you'll give them a try? Thanks for your comment.
Hi oceansnsunsets,
So often family memories are tied in with food memories as well. Happy to hear that you enjoyed the photos as well as recipe of this oatmeal bar cookie. Thanks for your comment.
I think cookies are the best kind of food. Unfortunately, not for diabetics. Although with this much fiber, I could probably eat just one little one :-)
These look so good. Enjoyed your story of your life in WI.
Hi Peggy, what a great hub this is! I loved all the photos and the recipe as well. What a treasure for sure, thank you so much for sharing it. What a blessing to have such things to remember and pass on as well.
Hi vasantha T k,
Thanks for your comment on this oatmeal bar cookie recipe. Appreciate it. :)
Hi Cheryl,
Some of these oatmeal bar cookies have your name on them! Think that I may have to make more since this is one of the smaller batches of cookies that I have made for gift giving purposes. At least you see how easy they are to make. Thanks for your comment.
great recipe and pictures voted interesting. good luck
Hello plinka,
I am grateful to my cousin Bill who remembered and asked for this recipe. Since I was in a cooking baking mode anyway, I decided to go ahead and make it instead of just sending the recipe to him. It is as delicious as I remembered. Hope you enjoy this oatmeal bar cookie as much as we do. Thanks for your comment and votes!
Great hub Peggy. I am looking forward to tasting these delicious oatmeal bar cookes from your grandmother's cookie recipes. Great photos of your family members and instructions on making delicious oatmeal bar cookies. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will add it to my collection of recipes.
Awesome hub and recipe! Well written and nice, the step-by-step photo instructions are easy to follow. I love that you shared your family background with us, it makes your hub unique and special. I've bookmarked it too, I have most of the ingredients at home, so I may try it this weekend. This is a scrumptious winter cake recipe because of nuts, oatmeal and dates. Voted up and shared!
Hello Deerwhisperer,
Hope you bake and taste these oatmeal bar cookies for yourself someday. They are indeed yummie! Thanks for your comment.
Yummie!
Hi Mary,
Glad that you liked the background and some photos behind this oatmeal bar cookie recipe. Thanks for your comment.
Hello Au fait,
Nice to hear that you think you may try making these oatmeal date nut square cookies. So...we both originally came from Wisconsin and are now both living in Texas. Quite a coincidence. Where in Wisconsin did you live? Thanks for your comment and votes. Appreciate it!
I've bookmarked this Hub, so I can go back and take another look at your recipes. I enjoyed the photos of your family very much. Thanks for sharing.
I have so little time for anything, but this recipe does look so delicious! I'm saving it and hoping to try it over Christmas. And I love your pictures of elder relatives. I have some of those from my own family and it's so nice to have them to look back. Interesting too that y'all are originally from Wisconsin. I am too! And now living in the DFW area.
This was a great hub and I know people are going to love the Date Bars and reading about your family, etc.
Voting you UP and you're my first awesome!
Peggy W 3 months ago
Hi Brett,
So happy to hear that you not only enjoyed the oatmeal bar cookie recipe, but also the family stories and photos. Thanks for the up votes and the share.