Date Crumble

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted and chopped dates, or to taste
• 0.25 cup cold water, or as needed
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or more to taste
• 1.375 cups self-rising flour
• 0.75 cup margarine
• 1 cup oats
• 0.75 cup white sugar

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
2. Make filling: Combine dates, water, sugar, and vanilla in a medium saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until pasty, about 5 minutes. Add more water if filling gets too thick. Remove the saucepan from heat and cool.
3. Make crumble: Place flour in a large bowl and rub margarine into flour using your hands until mixture resembles bread crumbs; stir in oats and sugar until incorporated.
4. Press 1/2 of the crumble into the prepared baking dish to form crust. Spoon filling over crust, smoothing with the back of the spoon and leaving a thin border between the edge of the dish and filling. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over filling.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.