-
Assemble ingredients.
-
Preheat oven to 350°F.
-
Line 9” square pan with parchment paper.
-
In saucepan, combine dates, boiling water and orange juice, and brown sugar. Let stand 15 minutes. Over medium-low heat, bring date mixture to a boil and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. If mixture thickens too fast, add a couple of tablespoons of water, one at a time. Remove from heat and add vanilla and almond flavouring. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, soda, salt, and grated orange rind. Cut, or grate, in the cold butter until mixture becomes coarse crumbs.
-
Press a scant ⅔ of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the cooled date mixture over crumb base. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over date filling.
-
Bake until crumbs are golden, about 25-30 minutes.
-
Let cool completely in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and cut into squares.