Add the water and hawthorn berries to a pot and bring them to a boil.
Upon bringing to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to a simmer – you want a gentle, slow, but consistent simmer allowing it to decoct for about 40 minutes until you have about 4 cups of deep red liquid left.
Strain the decoction to separate the hawthorn berries from the liquid. This is a great time to preheat your oven to 350°F.
Pour the liquid back into the pot except for 1 cup, which will be used to make hawthorn berry syrup to top the brownies. You should have at least 3 cups of liquid total (2 cups get added back to the pot, and 1 cup is set aside).
In the 1 cup for the topping, add the honey to the hawthorn berry decoction while it is still hot. Be sure to mix the honey into the decoction until the honey is dissolved. Set the topping aside to cool.
In the pot with 2 cups, add the dates to the hawthorn decoction, and place it back on the stove bringing it back to a boil.
Upon reaching the boiling point, reduce the heat to a simmer before covering the pot and allowing it to cook for 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes are up, remove from heat, and with a hand blender (or add to a high-speed blender), blend the dates and hawthorn decoction until you have a thick, silky liquid.
Add the cacao powder (or cocoa calm) and the maple syrup, and blend again until it is all evenly incorporated. Then pour the silky liquid into a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, add baking soda and lemon juice to create a foamy mixture before adding it to the brownie batter and mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add the oats and the flour of your choice to the mix and use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the batter thoroughly. Ensure that all dry ingredients are well incorporated into the wet ingredients. Allow sitting for 10 minutes to allow the oats and flour to soak up the liquid.
Take a baking pan and rub the bottom and sides with the oil of your choice (I used coconut).
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. You want the wet batter to be about 1.5 inches thick. Top with chocolate chips.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the top should be somewhat firm and a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool before topping your brownies with 1-2 teaspoons of hawthorn berry syrup, and enjoy!
