Delicious oat and date crumble slice

There’s nothing better to have on hand for when the hunger pangs hit, whether mid morning, afternoon, or if you’re looking for something sweet after dinner, than a classic slice. 

This lovely oat and date crumble slice combines a beautifully sweet, sticky date filling with an oat base, and a sweet, crumbly topping. 

It can be eaten alone as a snack, or you can warm it up and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an uber-sweet dessert!

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups plain flour
• 1¼ cups rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon bi-carb soda
• ½ cup raw sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 400g pitted dates
• 400g water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 30g butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170C and grease and line a 17cm X 28cm slice tin with baking paper.
2. Combine flour, rolled oats, salt, and bi-carb soda in a large bowl, then stir in raw sugar and brown sugar. 
3. Combine vanilla and melted butter and pour over dry ingredients, then stir until well combined. Press half of the mixture evenly into the base of the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, then set aside. 
4. Chop the dates and place them in a saucepan with vanilla extract and butter. Cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, or until dates have softened and sauce has thickened. Allow to cool a little before pouring over base and spreading. 
5. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight before cutting into squares.