Holiday Mince Squares (Hilda Hallock)

1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup sifted flour
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt,
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter (1 stick, cut into chunks)
1 pound 2 ounce jar (1 ¾ cups) mincemeat
Optional:  ¼ cup chopped walnuts (or pecans, to your taste)

Combine in a large bowl the quick cooking rolled oats, sifted flour, brown sugar, teaspoon salt, and cinnamon. 
Add butter chunks and cut in until mixture is in fine crumbs. 
Pat two-thirds of crumb mixture into a greased 9”-square pan.  (Only alteration in our household, after inheriting this recipe, is to divide the crumb mixture in half, rather than the ⅔ , ⅓ specified in Mom’s directions; use half on bottom, remaining half on top of mincemeat layer.)
Spoon evenly over top, one 1 pound 2 ounce jar (1 ¾ cups) mincemeat.  If adding nuts, add chopped nuts into the remaining crumb mixture; sprinkle over mincemeat.
Bake at 350° F.  for 40 minutes.
Cool in pan.
Cut into squares.