Cooking with Paula Deen Special Issues – September 2019

35 PAULA DEEN’S FALL BAKING

Filling:

2 large Bosc pears, peeled, cored,

and diced

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 (10-ounce) container chopped

pitted dates

Dough:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup fi rmly packed light brown

sugar

2 cups all-purpose fl our

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 teaspoons baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-inch
   baking pan with foil, letting excess extend
   over sides of pan; spray foil with cooking
   spray.
   2. For fi lling: In a medium saucepan,
   bring pears, 3 tablespoons water,
   granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a
   boil over medium heat; cook until pears
   are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir
   in dates, and cook, stirring frequently,
   until mixture has thickened, about
   2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let
   cool for 15 minutes.
   3. For dough: In a large bowl, beat butter
   and sugars with a mixer at medium speed
   until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to
   scrape sides of bowl. In a medium bowl,
   whisk together fl our, oats, and baking
   powder. Gradually add fl our mixture to
   butter mixture, beating until combined.
   4. Reserve 1½ cups dough; press
   remaining dough into prepared pan.
   Spread fi lling onto dough. Sprinkle
   reserved 1½ cups dough onto fi lling.
   5. Bake until golden brown, 30 to
   35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.
   Using excess foil as handles, remove from
   pan, and cut into bars. Store in an airtight
   container for up to 4 days.

Pear-Date Oat Bars

Makes 12

Boscpearswork best in this recipe because they

maintaintheir shape and texture during baking.

Kitchen Tip