The Food I Eat

I’m not a big fan of cupcakes. They taste of sweetness. With a lingering aftertaste of guilt.

I’d take cheese over chocolate, and a sausage roll over sweeties. So if I am going to have a little afternoon nibble of something with a cup of tea, then this is my favourite kind of snack - it’s fruity and oaty and tastes of more than just sugar.

I’m not going to try and argue that these date slices are exceptionally good for you (due to the butter and sugar), but – unlike chocolate and cupcakes and sweets – the dried fruit and porridge oats means that a small slice is wonderfully filling, and pretty nutritious too.

Ingredients
50 grams self raising flour
50 grams wholemeal flour
100 grams porridge oats
100 grams butter
50 grams soft brown sugar

200 gram of dried and stoned dates and 100 grams of dried apricots
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
6 tablespoons of water

Finely chop the dried fruit and put it in a bowl with the lemon juice and water so the fruit absorbs the moisture and becomes all plumps and juicy.

Leave everything to stand for a few hours – or overnight.

Get hold of a baking tin which is at least 3cm deep. Line it with an oversized sheet of greaseproof paper, so there’s enough sticking over the top for you to grab hold of.

Mix together the flour, oats, butter and sugar like you’re making a crumble topping. Press down half of the mixture onto the bottom of the baking tin. Spread a generous layer of the date mixture over the top, and then gently press the remaining crumble over it.

Cook for 30 minutes at 180C. Use the overhanging greaseproof paper to lift the date and apricot square out of the tin, and then cut it into rectangles to serve.