Volcanoes

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup molasses

2 eggs

2 cups rolled oats (such as Quaker Oats®)

1 cup pitted and chopped dates

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup water

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Blend flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Add butter, brown sugar, molasses, and eggs. Stir until smooth. Blend in oats.

Roll dough out on floured board, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into rounds using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place half of the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet.

Combine dates, white sugar, and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring often until thickened. Stir in walnuts. Remove from heat and let cool, about 10 minutes.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of the date mixture into the center of each round on the baking sheet. Cut a cross in the middle of the remaining rounds. Place over date mixture; press down on the edges of the dough to seal.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.