Playing With Recipes : Date and Oat Slice.

I’ve been playing with this recipe for years. The original recipe is from the very old ‘Book of Home Baking’ by Margaret Fulton. I don’t actually remember where or when I got this book from but it does have an old faded Big W price sticker on it. It’s a book I’ve used many many times.

In particular this recipe which is fantastic in itself but I can’t help myself and add something different to it nearly every time.

Let me know if you do…..

In a small saucepan put 300g chopped dates, 2 Tbls water, 1Tbls lemon juice and 1Tbls honey. Simmer gently over a medium heat until the dates are soft. Take off the heat and leave aside while you prepare the crumbly oat layers.

In a medium bowl mix together  225g wholemeal flour with 200g rolled oats and then rub in 220g butter. Stir in 60g brown sugar and I like to add about 50g flax seed and a few pepita and sunflower seeds.

Press 1/2 this mixture into a shallow square or rectangular baking dish which you’ve lined with baking paper.  Cover with the date mixture. Here is where i play with the recipe. I’ve added a layer of thinly sliced apple or pear, some sultanas, currants, pecans, slivered almonds, whatever I had at hand. Today I’ve sprinkled a handful of dried cranberries and some chopped  walnuts.

Cover the filling with the remaining crumble and press down well.

Bake at 190c for 35 – 40 minutes until brown.

Cut into slices while still warm then cool completely in the tin before removing and serving and eating.

This slice is still delicious even 1 week later, just keep it in an air tight container.

If you leave out the nuts it makes a great lunchbox snack.

Enjoy…

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