Apricot-Date Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free, Casein-Free, Sugar-Free, Egg-Free)

CRUMB CRUST #1:
4 C. Quick Oats

1/4 C. Oil                                             

1 C. shredded Coconut

1/4 C. Brown Rice Flour

1 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt Salt

2 T. Lemon or Orange Rind Zest

MIX WELL and

PRESS most of the above into a 8" x 12" pan

Leave some of the mixture for sprinkling on top of filling
CONTINUE on with FILLING & BAKING below
                -OR-
ALMOND MEAL CRUST #2:
4 1/2  C. Almond Meal/Almond Flour**
1/4 C. Oil
1/2 C. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
COMBINE in a Food Processor until well-mixed
PRESS into a 8" x 12" pan
BAKE in a 350F oven until fragrant and light golden (however long that takes-- don't overbake/burn)
LET COOL
FILL and BAKE (again) AS BELOW

FILLING:

2 C. unsulphured Apricots

SOAK and BLEND coarsely with:

2 C. Dates

1 T. Orange rind

1 C. Orange Juice

1 T. Cornstarch

STIR over Low Heat until thickened.

SPREAD filling onto Crumb Crust.

SPRINKLE with left-over Crumb Mixture (or additional chopped nuts, carob chips, coconut shreds)

BAKE at 375F for about 20 minutes

**{You can make your own almond flour/almond meal, either by grating up your whole nuts (minus the shells, of course) in your Vitamix or by the 1/2 cups in your coffee bean grinder, and then putting them through a mesh sieve or using a flour sieve-- put any bigger nut pieces back in the blender/grinder and mill again-- works great!  Don't blend so long that you make almond butter!}