Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 8 inch square cake pan with parchment paper.

2. To make the date filling, place the dates in a small saucepan, add 1 cup water and simmer over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the dates have softened. Remove the pan from the heat and mash with a wooden spoon into a smooth paste. Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla, then set aside.

3. To make oat flour, blitz the Fresh Rolled Oats for 60 seconds in a blender at high speed. Take care not to let the flour heat up too much.

4. Place the flours, baking soda, salt and ground spices in a food processor, add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Pulse in the brown sugar until evenly distributed.

5. Firmly press two-thirds of the dough into the base of the prepared pan. Add the date filling, smoothing it out evenly with a spatula, then lightly sprinkle over the remaining crumbly dough.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden and the date filling is bubbling through the crumble.

7. Remove and allow to cool completely in the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares and serve. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes 16.

This recipe has been reprinted with permission from The Miller's Daughter by Emma Zimmerman (Hardie Grant North America).