We always have fresh dates for Christmas. Great mounds of them piled high in fancy bowls alongside fresh cherries and all the nut varieties: hazels, walnuts, brazil and monkeys. A colourful display of Christmas fare and one that always seems a little decadent yet irresistible to me.
Fresh dates stuffed with an almond or
walnut make an excellent hors d'oeuvre (little savoury appetisers)
served with drinks. Substituting perfumed almond paste takes them to
another level and straight into the petit four department. Excellent
with a strong coffee after dinner or lunch.
Ingredients:
20 fresh dates, pitted
225gm almond powder
110gm caster sugar
½ teaspoon orange blossom water
1//8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons of butter - Lescure is a
great French butter worthy of its cost for this recipe
Cream the butter and sugar with an
electric hand whisk until it is pale and the sugar is incorporated
well into the butter with no grainy bits felt on the tongue at taste.
A wooden spoon works just as well but requires plenty of elbow
grease.
Add the other ingredients and combine
well together.
Stuff each date with a little paste.
And place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Oh how fabulous! Aren't they just divine? The almond lifts the flavour of the date to something else....
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