Oatmeal Date Squishies

I use the crumb crust for this recipe in a lot of desserts...It's so good I have to stop myself from eating it all before I even bake it! These desserts remind me somewhat of the seasonal pumpkin shaped Little Debbie cakes they have around Halloween.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup stick margarine or butter
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the date filling:

• 3 cups cut up pitted dates (1 pound)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. allspice

Method:
For the date filling...cook the dates, sugar, water & allspice over low heat till thickened (I mash it a bit with a potato masher). Set aside.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease bottom & sides of a rectangular 19 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Mix brown sugar & margarine (or butter) in a bowl. Add flour, oatmeal, salt & baking soda till crumbly. Press half of crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Spread date filling over crust. Top with remaining crumb mixture, press lightly. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars while slightly warm (although I love these cold out of the 'fridge!).

They actually ate these for breakfast!

~ It is easy to be pleasant when life flows by like a song, but the man worth while is the one who will smile even when everything goes wrong ~