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Recipeother Vegetarian

Moroccan Stuffed Dates

stuffed dates are a moroccan sweet traditionally served during ramadan and special occasions. orange flower water and cinnamon are used to flavor the almond paste filling. if you prefer, you can replace the orange flower water with lemon zest. garnish the stuffed dates as desired with granulated sugar, walnut pieces or even a little shredded coconut. select firm, chewy dates.

complex6 ingredients18 preparation steps
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Ingredients

  • dates
  • almonds
  • sugar
  • orange flower water
  • butter
  • cinnamon

Preparation

  1. 1blanch and peel the almonds
  2. 2bring some water to a boil in a small pot
  3. 3add the almonds and leave to boil for one or two minutes
  4. 4remove the almonds from the heat and drain
  5. 5while the almonds are still warm , remove the skin by pinching individual almonds between your forefinger and thumb
  6. 6leave the skinned almonds to cool
  7. 7make the almond paste
  8. 8process the almonds , sugar and cinnamon in a food processor until the almonds are a powdery mixture which is moist enough to pack
  9. 9add the butter and orange flower water and continue processing until a smooth paste forms around the blade
  10. 10remove the paste from the processor
  11. 11stuff the dates
  12. 12roll small cylinders of almond paste the same length as your dates , but only about 1 / 3 the diameter
  13. 13take a date , make a vertical cut deep enough to remove the pit , but not so deep as to cut the date in half
  14. 14discard the pit , insert a cylinder of almond paste , and press the sides of the date firmly around the paste , while leaving a portion of paste exposed
  15. 15repeat with the remaining dates and almond paste
  16. 16garnish the dates
  17. 17this is an optional step
  18. 18you might try one of the following methods or be creative and come up with your own: