Stuffed dates — three ways
The date as a jewel-case: cashew-lucuma-coconut cream, raw cacao-black sesame-fleur de sel, or almond-argan.
The Medjool date, soft and caramelised, is the finest of jewel-cases. Open it, remove the pit, fill it: three fillings, three worlds. The first, gentle and creamy, blends soaked cashew, lucuma and coconut. The second, intense, marries raw cacao, black sesame and fleur de sel. The third, the simplest, slips an almond into a drizzle of argan oil.
Ingredients
- 12 plump Medjool dates
- Filling 1 — cashew-lucuma-coconut: 6 tbsp cashews soaked 4 h, 1 tbsp lucuma, 2 tbsp grated coconut, a little water
- Filling 2 — cacao-black sesame: 3 tbsp raw cacao, 2 tbsp black sesame paste, 1 tbsp honey, fleur de sel
- Filling 3 — almond-argan: 12 peeled almonds, a drizzle of food-grade argan oil
- Finish: black sesame, grated coconut, raw cacao nibs
Method
- 1
Open each date lengthwise and remove the pit, without splitting it in two.
- 2
Filling 1: blend the soaked cashews with lucuma, coconut and a little water into a smooth cream. Fill a third of the dates.
- 3
Filling 2: mix the raw cacao, black sesame paste, honey and a pinch of fleur de sel. Fill a second third.
- 4
Filling 3: slip a peeled almond and a drizzle of argan oil into the last third.
- 5
Scatter each family with its finish — black sesame, coconut, cacao nibs — and chill for 15 minutes.
The tip
Three fillings for three moods: creamy cashew-lucuma for softness, cacao-black sesame for intensity, almond-argan for purity. Lovely as a platter to end a meal or for a retreat.
Where I find it
Medjool dates and cashews: Jurassic Fruit. Lucuma, raw cacao, black sesame: superfoods. Food-grade argan oil: small producer.
See my gem suppliers →