Orange Zest Maple Date Bars

Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups chopped pitted dates (about 15 large medjool dates),3/4 cup water,cup maple syrup,A few strips of orange peels or zest,2/3 cup white sugar,1/2 cup softened butter,1 cup of all-purpose flour (4.5 ounces),1 cup rolled oats (instant rolled oats is fine),1/4 teaspoon baking soda,1/4 teaspoon salt,2 tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)
Instructions:

1. Pit the dates and chop them up into little pieces. In a medium sauce pan, combine water, dates and maple syrup and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once at a boil, add the citrus peels and stir. Turn the heat down to medium and cook down until most of the water is gone. When it starts to look like jam, its done.
2. Place sauce pan in a freezer to quickly cool down the mixture.
3. When date jam is cooled, preheat the oven to 400F and begin to prepare the rest of the recipe.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and oats in a bowl and whisk together.
5. In another large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until creamy.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and cream and mix with a spatula or large wooden spoon until completely mixed. The texture will look quite crumbly.
7. Coat a 13×9-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Then begin layering your ingredients carefully.
8. Layer half of the crumb mixture and press down in the pan to make the bottom layer crust.
9. B.CAREFULLY spread your date jam on top of the crumb crust using a spatula sprayed with some oil.
10. C.Finally, sprinkle the remainder of the crumb mixture on top of the date jam.
11. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden.
12. Cool completely before cutting.

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