Moroccan stuffed dates, easy to make and very popular
Moroccan sweets
Sweets are a big part of the Moroccan cuisine. These stuffed dates are particular popular during the month of ramadan, during which these sweets are served to break the daily fast.
But at any time of the day, or month of the year sweets are an important part of Moroccan daily life. From breakfast time, snacking throughout the day and with dessert, sugary good are always part of them. I always get very strange looks when I ask for mint tea without sugar. And often it is impossible to get as the mint tea has been brewing with the an enormous dose of sugar already added.
Though I don’t have a big sweet tooth, these stuffed dates are delicious. Filled with a orange flower flavoured almond paste and lots of added sugar 😉 Some would decorate these dates with even more (coloured) sugar, I prefer to add a bit of extra nuttiness by using a walnut as decoration. Of course you can adjust the decoration to your own liking.
In any event it is impossible to completely go sugar-free in Morocco, so you better pick a few of your personal favourites to enjoy while you are in Moroccan company.
These stuffed dates are very easy and quick to make. I find handy to have sweet almond paste ready in my cupboard for any ‘last minute event’ to quickly be able to stuff some dates. ENJOY! Please don’t forget to add @haricoco1 to your instagram posts, I always love to see others creativity.
Check out my other Moroccan sweets;
These stuffed dates are part of my new (and under continues construction) series; ‘Travels of taste‘. We use our taste buds to travel the world and discover the use of our senses and imaginations to meet other cultures through food. So today we find ourselves in Morocco. Discover all the flavours Morocco has to offer, check out my full Moroccan ‘travels of taste’ post; >>> Morocco – the flavours of the souks
Moroccan stuffed dates
Ingredients
- 20 dates
- 5 walnuts, cut in quaters
Almond paste stuffing;
- 150g blanched almonds
- 60g sugar
- 1/2 tbsp orange flower
- 1 tbsp oil (nut oil or olive oil)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- In a food processor blend the almonds, sugar, and cinnamon until you have a finely ground mixture, just at the moment when it starts releasing its natural oils and get slightly moist.
- Add the oil and orange flower, it will now start forming a nice thick paste.
- Slice the dates open on one side without cutting them in half, remove the pit, and stuff the dates generously with the almond paste.
- Top with a quarter of a walnut.
Notes
You can adjust the sweetness of the almond paste by adjusting the amount of sugar. Almonds, cinnamon and orange flower are a very common mixture in Moroccan sweets. But if you don’t like orange flower you could use orange or lemon zest instead.
For the topping you can use any other nuts, sugar, or cinnamon.
Nutrition Facts
Moroccan stuffed dates
Serves: 20
Amount Per Serving: 1 portion
|
||
---|---|---|
Calories | 135.28 kcal | |
% Daily Value* | ||
Total Fat 5.33 g | 8.2% | |
Saturated Fat 0.41 g | 2.1% | |
Trans Fat 0.0 g | ||
Cholesterol 0.0 mg | 0 | |
Sodium 1.72 mg | 0.1% | |
Total Carbohydrate 22.59 g | 7.5% | |
Dietary Fiber 2.44 g | 9.8% | |
Sugars 19.35 g | ||
Protein 2.2 g |
Vitamin A 0.19 % | Vitamin C 0.18 % | |
Calcium 3.45 % | Iron 2.75 % |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Haricoco