Ingredients

Date Mixture
• 2 ½ cups of cut and pitted Medjool dates
• Juice and zest of one Meyer lemon and one lime (about ½ cup)
• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp Himalayan salt

Top and Bottom
• 1 3/4 cups raw oats (soaked) or quick oats
• 1 cup (250 ml) spelt flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (if you are O blood – use 1 1/4 cup spelt and ¼ cup maple syrup)
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) baking powder or substitute like arrowroot flour
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) salted butter, softened (if you are paleo you may substitute coconut oil cold in place – or a mix of both if you want the buttery overtones in the pastry mixture.

Method
• Line an 8” pan with parchment paper that runs up all sides
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a saucepan, bring the dates, water, lemon & lime juice to a boil. Add the baking soda and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the dates have fallen apart. Let cool.
• In a food processor, combine all the ingredients in the bowl and pulse until mixed – but not overly so.
• Stick this in the fridge for 15/20 minutes
• Take after the mixture and press evenly into the lined pan. Bake for around 8 minutes or until it starts looking slightly golden.
• Remove and evenly spread out the date mixture over this layer.
• Crumble – hand and fork are best method – the rest of the mixture on the top.
• Return to oven for 20 minutes – or until it is nice and golden
• Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares