Date & Apple Squares

Gosh. These, as recommended by my mother-in-law, were absolutely fabulous (and easy). They contain more sugar and butter than any baked sweet I have ever come across but who cares. They are what I call an "adult" treat. The recipe below and intended for a square dish. I doubled the recipe and tossed it into a 9 inch round spring-form, for lack of square baking tin (hint hint Santa or H).

Here is the link to the source. 

Ingredients

• 225g butter , plus a little extra for greasing
• 140g cooking apples , peeled, cored and chopped
• 140g stoned dates , chopped
• 280g light soft brown sugar
• 175g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g porridge oats 
• 
  
• 1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5/380F. Grease an 18cm square tin and line with baking parchment.
• 2. Tip the apples into a pan with 2 tbsp water.
• 3. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 5 mins until tender and slightly pulpy. 
• 4. Add the dates and 50g of the sugar, and cook for a further 5 mins. Take off the heat and break the apples down with the back of a spoon until smooth and well mixed with the dates. Set aside.

• 5. Gently melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix the flour, bicarb, oats and remaining sugar in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir well until oats are coated.
• 6. Press half the mixture firmly into the tin, spread the apple mix on top and smooth over. Cover with the remaining oat mixture and press down. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and firm. Cool in the tin before cutting into squares.