Recipe: Date Delights

by | Mar 29, 2012 | Recipe | 0 comments

Here is an excellent make-at-home treat that is a cinch to whip up and handy to have in the fridge for afternoon tea. It’s fairly high in sugar – thanks to the dates, honey and fruit – which is why you make little balls and eat just one or two at a time! The dried fruit and coconut will boost your fibre intake and the tahini provides a good plant source of calcium.

What do I need?

1 cup pitted dates, puréed
3/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1/3 cup dried fruit, roughly chopped e.g. sultanas, figs, apricots, etc
PLUS extra coconut or cacao (or both) for rolling balls in.

How do I put it together?

  1. Combine all the wet ingredients – date, tahini and honey – to form a paste (it might be lumpy from the dates, which is perfectly fine).
  2. Sift in spices, then fold through coconut and dried fruit – combine well.
  3. Pinch out small lumps of the mixture and roll into bite-sized balls, then roll these in desiccated coconut and/or cacao powder (enough to coat).

These can be eaten straight away, with a cup of herbal tea, or stored in the fridge for up to two weeks (but you’ll probably have wolfed them in that time).
NB. You can make variations of this according to your taste e.g. don’t use any honey if you want to cut down on sugar. This is an adaptation of a recipe from Gluten Free Grain Free, a lovely cookbook by Queensland local Tania Hubbard.