I apologize for not having been posting any recipes lately. I have not been coming up with anything new these days, but just cooking things that are our favorites. There really is no room left in me for food so it is not really on my mind at all and my appetite seems to have taken a vacation. I have also just been so tired these days I have no motivation in the kitchen. I have only 10 days left to go now and my mind has been more on preparing for the baby and trying to find balance between rest and getting all that I need to get done before she arrives. I promise to be back in the kitchen when I feel motivated again and my appetite returns from wherever it has gone.

While thinking of what to blog about for today, I came across this lovely little recipe in my drafts that I came up with months ago. This recipe I called lemon date squares because they are so lemony and taste like a lemon square. These are a really delicious dessert, made with some beautiful wholesome ingredients like spelt flour, dates, oats and maple syrup. My husband loves to have these squares on his coffee break at work. These really hit the spot and satisfy any sweet craving. Hope you enjoy this one as much as we do!

Lemon Date Squares

Perfectly sweet without any sugar, these squares pack such a strong lemon flavor you may will feel like you are eating a lemon square. A perfectly healthy and fiber-loaded sweet treat.

Makes 12 squares

Ingredients

For the lemon date filling:

• 2 cups pitted dates
• 3/4 cup water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the crust:

• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the dates together with the water, lemon juice, lemon zest and sea salt in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, (stirring often) until the dates breakdown and the mixture becomes smooth. Remove from heat and prepare the crust.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda and sea salt. Add the maple syrup, sunflower oil and vanilla and stir until combined. Transfer 3/4 of the crust ingredients to a non-stick 8×8 baking pan. Press the mixture evenly into the baking pan then pour the date filling on top and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 crust mixture on top of the date filling. Bake for 23-28 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into 12 squares.