Cranberry Caramel Pecan Bars

This recipe was found in my family's local newspaper. My mom pulled it out for me to try and I LOVED it. I absolutely love the tartness of the cranberries. If you aren't a fan of tart cranberries, I would suggest using berries (any kind or a mixture). They really make this special and it is SO yummy--ooey, gooey, yumminess all around :)

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cranberries (or you could use berries)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
21/3 cups flour, divided
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups regular oats
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup melted butter
10 ounces chopped dates
¾ cup chopped pecans
12-ounce jar caramel sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss together cranberries and two tablespoons sugar and set aside.
2. Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, oats, ½ cup white sugar and brown sugar. Stir butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Reserve one cup of flour/butter mixture; press remainder into a greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Sprinkle dates, pecans and cranberries on top. Combine caramel sauce and 1/3 cup flour and spoon over top. Sprinkle with reserved crust mixture. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and run a hot wet knife around the edge of pan to detach sticky caramel and to make removal easier. Cool and cut into bars.

I really loved this. The crust was what my sister kept eating and the dates really do give it just a chewyness that is really nice. If you want to see the original recipe, it's foundhere and was posted during the holiday season, but would be yummy year-round.