Paleo Christmas Stuffed Middle Eastern Dates

 

Yeah I know what a mouthful! No pun intended ahem.

These are Vegan and Paleo friendly, super fast to create and packed full of flavour. They are great nibbles to serve up when you have guests waiting for their main meals! Best of all they look like beautiful shiny jewels – ahhhhhh!

I have seen stuffed dates before, they usually aren’t anything special – just some nuts. I first came across dates stuffed with cream cheese and cinnamon when I went to my other half’s mum’s house for an Armenian style Christmas dinner. They were super tasty. As I am part Israeli I wanted to add in some of my favourite flavours but still keep it in line with the whole Christmas theme. It tastes relatively similar to my Raw No Bake Paleo Christmas Cheesecake.

This recipe requires you to soak your nuts overnight or for at least 4 hours to soften them enough!

These dates are stuffed with a faux cream cheese, spices, rose water, orange zest and some roasted nuts. Fab! If you’d like to make these a little boozy then why not try adding 2 tablespoons of rum?!

Makes: 25-30 stuffed dates

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cooking Time: No bake my friends, no bake!

Ingredients:

500g Medjool Dates
50g macadamia nuts (soaked)
50g cashew nuts (soaked)
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 tbsp rose water
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
10 cardamom pods (seeds removed & ground)
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
Pinch Himalayn pink salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp raw honey (or maple syrup)
1.5 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 peeled courgette
Zest 1/2 orange
1 tbsp almond butter
Small handful of roasted almonds, pistachios or walnuts

Method:

1. Firstly place your nuts into a small baking tray in the oven at 180C until nicely browned. This is likely to take about 5 minutes.
2. Whilst your nuts are roasting place all of your ingredients except for the dates, courgette, orange zest and almond butter into a food processor. Process until smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides regularly. Process for around 5 minutes.
3. Remove your roasted nuts and leave aside to cool.
4. Peel and dice your courgette. Add to the rest of the faux cream cheese mix and process until fully blended.
5. Pulse in your orange zest.
6. Remove the faux cream cheese from the processor bowl and place into a small mixing bowl.
7. Roughly chop your roasted nuts and throw into your faux cream cheese mix, give it a good mix.
8. Fold in your almond butter so that it is nicely swirled around.
9. Butterfly and de-stone all of your dates.
10. Using a teaspoon take a large heaped spoonful of the faux cream cheese and spread into the middle of the butterflied dates. Gently close the butterfly and put aside. Repeat the process until they are all full.
11. If you are wanting to serve these up right away place into the freezer for 10 minutes as they are best served cold. Otherwise store in the fridge until needed! Enjoy!