Posted by kdipaolo May 9, 2001

1 cup shortening
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

Mix shortening, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed until mixed well.

Put rolled oats in food processor or blender. Blend about 60 seconds to make oat flour. Makes about 2 cups.

In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture. Stir until ingredients combine into a dough. Cover; refrigerate overnight.

Roll out chilled dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Use a small (about 1/2-inch diameter) well floured cookie cutter to make bite size cookies. Using a thin bladed metal spatula, transfer cookies to a greased baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies at once to wire racks to cool.

While cookies are cooling, prepare filling. Combine sugar, water, and dates in a saucepan. Cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until thick. Filling will be like a clear, thick jam with small pieces of dates in it. Let mixture cool. You should have about 1 1/8 cups of filling.

Spread about 1/2 teaspoon date filling on each of one half of the cooled cookies; top with remaining cookies to make sandwich cookies.

Yield: 8 dozen cookies