Apricot-Date Bars

Ingredients

• 1.75 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups packed brown sugar, divided
• 0.75 tablespoon baking soda
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.75 cup butter, softened
• 1.25 cups pitted and chopped dates
• 1.25 cups chopped dried apricots
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix oats, flour, 1 cup brown sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly.
3. Press a little over half of the crumbly mixture into the bottom of a 10×15-inch baking pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Combine remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, dates, apricots, and orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until thickened, breaking up any clumps, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cool filling slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Drop spoonfuls of warm filling over the crust. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle remaining crumbly mixture evenly over the filling; press gently into the filling.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until top is lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Cut into 1-1/4×2-inch bars with a pastry cutter while still hot. Cool bars in the pan, about 20 minutes.