Date Almond Truffles
Date Almond Truffles
An old Arabic legend tells of the Date palm’s creation: “After God had finished molding Man from Earth; He took the remaining material and shaped it into a date palm which he placed in the Garden of Paradise”. Besides its beauty, the date palm had vital importance in the pre modern economy of the Arab worlds, and has been eaten and enjoyed by man for over 7000 years. Cultivated date palms have existed in Palestine for 5,000 years. The Mediterranean climate conditions dominant in the area provide optimal conditions for growth and development of the date palm. Date palm cultivation in the Palestinian territories exists in the regions of Jericho and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
Dates are a great source of magnesium, potassium, and fiber so they pack a nutritional punch alongside their deliciousness. These date truffles reap the nutritional benefits of dates, as well as vitamin E, protein and fiber from the almonds too!
Ingredients
2 cups Equal Exchange Medjool Dates pitted
4 Tbsp. almond butter
4 Tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
½. tsp nutmeg
1-2 Tbsp. almond milk optional only if date paste is too stiff
Dash cardamom optional
½ cup almonds ground
coconut and/or cocoa powder for rolling truffles
Instructions
Grind the almonds until fine in a food processor, empty into a bowl and set aside.
Now grind the pitted dates, almond butter, cocoa powder, and spices in a food processor, until a smooth paste forms. Add a tbsp at a time of almond milk if the paste is too stiff.
Grease hands with olive oil to prevent sticking, and roll the date almond paste into about 20 two-inch balls.
Roll the truffles into the ground almonds. For variation you can also roll the truffles into coconut, or additional cocoa powder, depending on flavor preference.
Recipe & photo courtesy of Blanche, feastinthemiddleeast.com.
