STUFFED DATES FOR IFTAR
Ramadan Kareem!
I haven't posted anything yet, but I want to post a recipe for you guys. During this Ramadan, I rarely cooked anything. Apart from cooking, I always see food content on TikTok or Instagram, hehe. Once I saw a woman who is brilliantly enough to cook a lot of types of Stuffed Dates. Her name is Ayesha. It's clever to see people innovate new recipes with just one main ingredient. In this case, it's a date.
Date is always referred to Ramadan, or the activity of doing the Iftar (break fasting). However, it's not the go-to food or snack here in Indonesia. When I saw Ayesha crafting her date's recipes, it motivates me to create some of them as well. So, I made an experiment a couple weeks ago. I made seven variants of Stuffed Dates. Yes, seven. Neither can I believe myself, LOL.
The finishing look was satisfying, if I can be honest with you. The taste was also good, but not that great. I made six of variants sweeter than I thought, and the other one was balanced - there are sweet and sour taste.
These are the ingredients of making the Stuffed Dates.
There are actually some ingredients missing in this picture, which are sugar, powdered sugar, and salt. For the peanut butter, I used the unsweetened one. My suggestion is that you don't have to make them all seven recipes, it would cause a very messy kitchen!
Now, let's break down the recipes!
1. Cheesy
Ingredients: dates, sweet cream cheese, honey, chia seeds
Steps:
Blend sweet cream cheese and honey (ratio cream cheese and honey is 2:1)
Cut one side of the date to take out the seeds (don't cut the dates into two parts)
Fill the date with the mixture of cream cheese and honey
Sprinkle the chia seeds on top of the date
Note: Rich in sweet taste from the honey and the date itself.
2. Peamond
Ingredients: dates, almond peanut butter, almonds, coconut flakes
Steps:
Cut one side of the date to take out the seeds (don't cut the dates into two parts)
Fill the date with almond peanut butter
Put sliced almonds and sprinkle the coconut flakes on top of the date
It's done, easy peasy!
Note: It tasted simple and right. It's good for those who are craving for peanut butter.
3. Moco
Ingredients: dates, lemon, sweet cream cheese, coconut flakes, powdered sugar
Steps:
Squeeze the lemon to produce lemon juice
Grate the lemon skin to produce lemon zest
Put the half of lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small pot and let it boiled at medium heat
Mix the rest of lemon juice with sweet cream cheese
Again, cut one side of the date to take out the seeds (don't cut the dates into two parts)
Fill the date with the mixture of sweet cream cheese and lemon juice
Cover the date with the mixture of lemon juice and powdered sugar
Sprinkle the coconut flakes and lemon zest on top of the date
Note: It's delicious. The lemon flavour is so rich and you can taste both sweet and sour at one bite, which is amazing.
4. Marsley
Ingredients: dates, sour cream cheese, parmesan cheese, dried rosemary, dried thymes
Steps:
Cut the dates into 2 parts
Cover the top of the date with sour cream cheese
Put dried rosemary and dried thymes into one small plate
Put a pinch of dried rosemary and dried thymes above the sour cream cheese
Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the date
Note: It's surprisingly delicious. I think it would be my favourite snack!
5. Dochio
Ingredients: dates, pistachio nuts, dark chocolate, olive oil, coconut water, cinamon powder, dried rose petals
Steps:
Put the dark chocolate, 1 tsp of cinamon powder, 1 tsp of olive oil and 1tbs of coconut water to a glass bowl
Melt them in an oven at high heat
Chilled down for 5 minutes
While waiting for the chocolate, cut one side of the date to take out the seeds (don't cut the dates into two parts)
Put 3-5 pistachio nuts inside the date
Cover the date with dark chocolate
Shower the date with crushed pistachio nuts and dried rose petals
Note: It's tasty, you can actually taste the pistachios dominate all the flavour in your mouth.
6. Rocoberry
Ingredients: dates, strawberries, dark chocolate, olive oil, coconut water, cinnamon powder, dried rose petals
Steps:
Cut the strawberries into small pieces
Put the dark chocolate, 1 tsp of cinamon powder, 1 tsp of olive oil and 1tbs of coconut water to a glass bowl
Melt them in an oven at high heat
Chilled down for 5 minutes
While waiting for the chocolate, cut one side of the date to take out the seeds (don't cut the dates into two parts)
Put the small pieces of strawberries inside the date
Cover the date with dark chocolate
Sprinkle the dried rose petals on top of the date
Note: You get the fresh flavour from the stawberries.
7. Strange Flowers
Ingredients: dates, oranges, strawberries, sugar, powdered sugar, lemon juice, dark chocolate, olive oil, coconut water, cinnamon powder, edible flowers
Steps:
Cook the oranges and strawberries in a small pot at medium heat
Add some sugar, about 2-4 tbs (optional)
Wait the fruits until they are tender
Chilled down for 5-10 minutes
While waiting for the fruits, put the dark chocolate, 1 tsp of cinamon powder, 1 tsp of olive oil and 1tbs of coconut water to a glass bowl
Melt them in an oven at high heat
Chilled down for 5 minutes
This recipe has a lot of steps, I know. Bear with me. So after this, squeeze the lemon to produce lemon juice
Put the half of lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small pot and let it boiled at medium heat
Now, cut one side of the date to take out the seeds (don't cut the dates into two parts)
Fill the date with the cooked fruits
Cover the date with dark chocolate
Prepare the edible flowers and cover them with the mixture of lemon sugar
Put the flowers on top of the date
Voilà, it's done!
Note: The flavour is so unique. You get the sweet, sour, strong fruit scent, and fancy edible flowers! ;)
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My favourite of these recipes is Marsley. It tasted both sweet and savoury in my mouth. The balance of Marsley's flavour is just perfect. Most of these recipes were experimental. You can have these at Iftar, at Eid, or make them as night snacks. You can experiment yourself with new Stuffed Date's recipe, just like me. :)