Inspired by Egyptian date candy, which dates back to around 1600 BC, the original recipe was reputed to have been found on a pottery shard, or ostraca. As the small one has been fascinated with Egypt recently we have made a point to learn about Egyptian cuisine as of late. He, of course prefers reading about mummies and curses to scouring recipes, but I feel that food can be a fantastic tool to keep them learning about various cultures. When you use the local flavors of the region regularly, you can then pique a continued interest in the regional food preparation techniques, farming, archaeology, anthropology etc, of that region. Which brings me to this recipe; (when dealing with kids it’s always wise to start with sweets) First, I’ll give you the original which can be found in much detail here, and then follow with our version.
This is the recipe that inspired our recipe:
- 1 cup of fresh dates
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
- 1/2 ground walnuts
- warm honey
- fine ground almonds
Our ingredients list is a little different, we used Peanut Butter and Chia seeds in lieu of walnuts, and sunflower seeds in lieu of almonds. This may have been, frankly, because I was too lazy to drive to the store but, the result was delicious, interesting and unique.
For the date paste, here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 cup of dates, dried with pits removed
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Soak dates in warm water for a few minutes, drain, and add cinnamon and honey, kneading into a dough.
For the filling:
Mix together in bowl until a sort of dough forms
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp chia seeds
For coating:
Grind 1/2 cup sunflower seeds in food processor until fine. Set aside in bowl.
To form candies, wet your hands with cool water, roll filling into a small ball form, wrap with date paste, and roll in ground sunflower seeds. Set it on a parchment or silicone baking mat to harden a bit.
That’s it. Pretty simple, but a brilliant way to quell your sweet tooth, with something nutritious. This is also a delightful recipe to whip up for unexpected company, it’s very quick and works beautifully served with strong brewed coffee for guests. Do give this easy, healthier candy recipe a try and leave your thoughts in the comments and we’ll get back to you. Thanks for following!
