Vegan Fruit-Butter Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 cup unbleached cane sugar (I use date sugar)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups thick fruit butter (apple, pumpkin, prune or peach)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil or spray sides and bottom of a glass baking pan, 8 inches square and 2 inches deep.
To make the crust, place the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir them together until well combined.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the maple syrup and oil. Pour into the flour-oat mixture and mix thoroughly until everything is evenly moistened. The mixture will be crumbly.
Press half of this mixtur evenly into prepared baking pan, packing it down very firmly.
Carefully spread the fruit butter evenly over the base. Sprinkle the rest of the flour-oat mixture evently over the fruit butter and pat down lightly.
Beke for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack and slice into bars or squares.