Make Food With Dates

Eat dates as a sweet snack, or chop them up and scatter them onto cereal in place of sugar or honey. Chopped up they can also be added to cakes, biscuits and desserts. They’re delicious served with cheese or as an after dinner treat, stuffed with a whole almond and rolled in icing sugar. North African cuisine makes varied use of dates, notably in tagines and sweet couscous dishes.

Coffee Date Bread

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup strong brewed coffee
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Coffee Date Bread

“A dark, wonderfully moist bread. I serve at every holiday meal and then enjoy the leftovers at breakfast.”

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup strong brewed coffee
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup white sugar

1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Place the dates in a small bowl, and sprinkle the baking soda over. Heat coffee to boiling, and pour over the dates and soda. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and egg until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Blend in the flour and salt, then fold in the pecans and date mixture. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top of the loaf springs back when lightly touched. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Peel off paper, and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Date Nut Loaf Cake

Ingredients

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar

Date Nut Loaf Cake

“An easy and quick date nut loaf served with a warm brown sugar sauce.”

Ingredients

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring dates and water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar until melted. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Place date mixture into a large bowl. Blend in flour, eggs and vanilla. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Serve slices with Warm Sauce.
To make Warm Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/4 cup butter with cream and brown sugar. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and sugar is dissolved.

Fig and Date Bread

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup chopped dried figs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Fig and Date Bread

“I like to have this sweet, dark and hearty bread for breakfast or with afternoon coffee or tea. Try it thinly sliced and topped with cream cheese and a scattering of chopped dates.”

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup chopped dried figs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8×4 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the dates, figs, butter and baking soda. Pour in the boiling water, stir well and let stand for 15 minutes.
Beat the sugar, walnuts and eggs into the date mixture. Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the date mixture just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Date Cookies (Mamool)

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Date Cookies (Mamool)

“Spicy cookies with chewy dates. The dates sweeten these cookies without going overboard.”

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons water
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1n a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Combine the water and dates; stir into the dough along with the chopped pecans. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Date and Nut Bread

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

Date & Nut Bread

“Try this recipe for a yeast bread that is full of fiber and rich in taste.”

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Directions

Place ingredients into the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Fruit Bread setting, and Start. The dates and nuts can be added at the very beginning for better distribution, or added after the beep.

Hedgehogs

Ingredients

2 cups walnuts
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
2 cups flaked coconuts
2 eggs

Hedgehogs

“Pretty, flourless cookies.”

Ingredients

2 cups walnuts
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
2 cups flaked coconut
2 eggs
1 cup packed brwon sugar

Directions

Grind nuts and dates. Mix 1 1/2 cup coconut and remaining ingredients.
Scoop up in tablespoons, shape into balls and roll in remaining coconut. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until coconut browns, 10 to 15 minutes, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) .