Superfoods are the fashion, and dates are certainly worthy of a place at the table, a … Include vanilla pudding in the dough. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find fresh dates prepackaged or in bulk at your local supermarket. Place Medjool dates in a glass or ceramic bowl and pour hot water over them. Dried dates can also be eaten as is as a snack, or you can chop and toss into salads or sprinkle on top of hot oatmeal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in television writing/producing and a Master of Arts Management in entertainment media management, both from Columbia College. 3) Blend dates with yogurt and frozen fruits for a healthy smoothie. Add the mix when you're pouring in the dry ingredients and combine the dough as directed in your recipe. Medjool dates range from brown to black in color and are large in size. Fresh dates are plump and dark brown with a glossy sheen. If you've never had a freshly harvested date, they are worth seeking out for their insanely sweet, caramel-like taste and—this is where they differ most from dried dates—their soft, downright luscious texture. They grow on large trees known as date palms and are native to the Middle East where they have been enjoyed for thousands of years. The water should reach just below the basket. 3 65 Super Easy Finger Foods to Make for Any Party From chips and dip to one-bite apps, finger foods are the perfect way to kick off a party. Wring it out well. Or, of course, dates play a big role in baked goods, adding sweetness and texture to cakes, breads, and cookies. Although dates are super sweet it doesn't mean that they're bad for you—on the contrary. These are the "fresh dates" available at some supermarkets, specialty grocery stores, and farmers' markets. Mohamed RM, Fageer AS, Eltayeb MM, Mohamed ahmed IA. 4) Use dates in place of raisins for oatmeal-date cookies. Since they’re dried, their … You will love adding these to your holiday baking list! Dates come in many varieties, but only a few are available in the United States. Read our, The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Look for fresh dates that are plump and have a slight glossiness to their skin. Just … Before any type of preparation, though, you first need to remove the pits. Dates come in many varieties, but only a few are available in the United States. Glass or plastic tupperware works well. If they do not smell good or show signs of decay, the dates have expired. Share on Pinterest. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Fresh dates have a high sugar content, which intensifies as the fruit is dried; thus, fresh dates differ in both taste and texture from the sugared, desiccated, chopped ones sold in boxes in the baking aisle of the grocery store. Fresh dates can be wrinkled, but they shouldn't feel hard. Open 1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix and add the dry mix to your cookie dough. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, Julia Hoersch/Picture Press / Getty Images, Why Dates Are Traditionally Eaten When Breaking Ramadan Fast, The Ramadan Tradition of Breaking a Fast With Dates, Essential Ingredients in Moroccan Cooking, 6 Moroccan Chicken Dishes for Special Occasions and Company Dinners. 2) Stuff dates with nuts or cheese and enjoy them as an afternoon snack. If you are looking for an alternative to sugar, you can actually turn the dates into a "sugar" by simply roasting and then pulverizing them. No forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time.Read More 2014;2(5):478-89.  doi:10.1002/fsn3.123, An Y, Feng L, Zhang X, et al. Dry roast sesame seeds on a low to medium heat until they turn aromatic They may mark a romantic meeting, or some other sweet occasion in life. If you have a large quantity or would like to keep the dates for an extended period of time, freezing is the way to go. Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level. Medjool dates are a FRESH FRUIT. The vanilla pudding mix will add moisture to the cookies, so they stay soft and last longer. Dates have an excellent nutrition profile. They will still be quite soft but have a bit more of a toothsome quality to them. They are also available via mail order from some growers and may be found at specialty stores and, often, Middle Eastern markets. Cover the pot. Fill a small pot with a few inches of water and fit a steamer basket or adjustable colander inside the pot. Certain varieties, such as Medjool, are more expensive than others because their harvest is more labor intensive. I have some chopped dates, coated in oat flour that are slightly hard. Thank You! Repeat with the rest of your dates. Wrap the dates up in the paper towel and let them sit for a few minutes wrapped up to infused them with a little more moisture. Note: Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave. Set aside for 15 minutes and grind the mixture to a fine paste. If you’re using the smaller deglet noor dates, you’ll need to use more! Fresh dates can be sliced in half and placed on top of toast that has been spread with honeyed ricotta cheese, or the fruit can be chopped up and sprinkled over ice cream. Deglet Noor dates: “Date of Light” are amber colored and have a distinct delicate flavor. Farmers' markets in Southern California and Arizona may have fresh dates when they're in season. These chewy, sweet fruits are available in several varieties and are sold both fresh and dried. Dates will last up to one month when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. These really are the perfect oatmeal cookie filled with chewy dates and crunchy pecans. https://www.buzzfeed.com/ahmedaliakbar/date-recipes-for-eid Press a walnut half into the cheese filled dates. Depending on where you live, you may also come across names such as Barhi, Dayri, Halawy, Khadrawy, Thoory, and Zahidi. Open up the pitted dates, and fill them with a cream cheese of your choice. Dates that are starting to dry out will form sugar crystals on the surface as the moisture is escaping. Of course, dessert recipes abound utilizing the date's natural sweetness. Since palm trees grow best in the desert, the U.S. crop of dates is grown in the deserts of California and Arizona. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. You can spray your dates with other liquids such as milk, fruit juice and wine as you are moistening them to enhance the flavor of the dates before consuming. Also, you might find it hard to believe, how easy it is to make this Date Filling. What can be done to make them soft again? Oatmeal Date Cookies that are chewy and soft in the center but crispy on the edges! They have a moist texture and a sweet taste. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to drizzle water over the dates if you don't have a spray bottle. Want to give your dates even more flavor? Follow this easy process to make your own jar: Soak dates in hot water to soften them. The … Steam the dates for about 3 to 5 minutes, covered, until they have sufficiently remoistened to your liking and any sugar crystals on the surface have dissolved. You may be surprised to find a wide range of recipes featuring dates, both fresh and dried. Wait a few minutes for the dates to absorb the water, then spray a little more, as needed until they reach the moisture levels you desire. Place just the amount of dates you plan to use in a bowl, then cover with boiling water to fully submerge the fruit. The word "date" comes from the Greek word daktulos, which means "fingers," possibly named as such for the fruit's shape. https://www.faskitchen.com/dates-cake-recipe-make-simple-date-cake So don't miss it! Updated December 19, 2019. In a mixing bowl of a stand-in mixer, cream the butter, … Soak your Medjool Dates in Warm Water until your Dates are tender/soft Remove your Dates from the soaking water Remove the seeds by Hand – make sure to get all of them! Alternatively, you can use a spoon to drizzle water over the dates if you don't have a spray bottle. Dates are sweet and rich with a chewy, sticky texture. A dry date simply contains less moisture than a soft date. Recipe works best fresh, soft medjool dates. 5) Wrap pitted dates in bacon and serve them as a tasty appetizer. Wait a few minutes for the dates to absorb the water, then spray a little more, as needed until they reach the moisture levels you desire. As they sit, the dates will continue to dry out and their sugars will slowly come to the surface, creating white spots that are sugar, not mold. Based in Los Angeles, Zora Hughes has been writing travel, parenting, cooking and relationship articles since 2010. They may record accomplishments that make us proud – a first marathon, or first article published. Dates can be softened by steaming them for about 10 minutes over boiling water or placing them on a baking sheet covered with a wet towel then keeping them warm in the oven for 15 minutes. There are endless varieties of dates grown in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Most dates are allowed to hang on the trees to "cure" and dry a bit before being harvested so they will last longer once picked. As always, all opinions are my own. For longer storage, or to maintain their freshness, store the dates in the refrigerator packed in a glass or plastic container or zip-top bag. Native to the Middle East, dates are fruits of the date palm tree and look somewhat like giant raisins, but have a much sweeter taste and smoother texture. She also writes screenplays and won the S. Randolph Playwriting Award in 2004. If you can’t find tart kumquats or prefer a fruit that’s a bit … The fresh dates are available soft, semi-soft or dry. They are firmer and drier than Medjools with a slightly nutty flavor. Very Nutritious. Medjool dates are one of the most popular, known for their large size, soft texture and rich flavor. Alternatively, place the dates in a resealable plastic bag. Step 2: Making your Date Paste with your Mortar & Pestle Super-ize Them. Add the dates to the steamer basket or colander once it starts to boil and sprinkle lightly with water. Portion them out into small containers before freezing—they will thaw beautifully and retain their sweetness. If dates are dry or hard, you can soak them in water for about 30 minutes, drain and then use them in the recipe. Easy ways to boost fiber in your daily diet. Chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and mineral extractability of Sudanese date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits. Her work includes writing city profiles for Groupon. Bring the water to boil. Clin Epigenetics. Soak the dates in “just boiled” water for 1-2 hours. An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients. Add baking soda, mix well and switch off the heat. Dates are among the sweetest fruits in the world. This video shows you how to make delicious date cake. This is something you can play around with to get the caramel sauce thickness you’re looking for. Remove the dates from the saucepan and with the tip of a knife or a vegetable corer, dislodge the seed from the dates and any strings from the inside of the fruit. Step 1 Mix cream cheese and Gorgonzola cheese together in a bowl. Soft dates – Part 1. There’s no need to dry them completely. Wipe each dry date all over with the damp paper towel, removing the sugar crystals that have formed as they dried out. When plump, sweet dates are a little past their prime and start to get dry, it's easy to remoisten them, bringing them back to their juicy goodness. Avoid dates that have crystallized sugar on their skins (a little whiteness is okay, but not actual crystals), since that means they are not quite as fresh as you might like. Simply slice the date lengthwise and the pit will easily pop out. You can also serve them pitted and stuffed with blue cheese as a simple appetizer, or as part of a tagine, the Moroccan slow-cooked stew. Place the dates in a saucepan and cover with water. Not completely soaking are large in size dates have amber-colored skin and a Master of Arts Management in media. 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