“…next I sing of honey, the heavenly ethereal gift…” -Virgil
Roman Stuffed Dates
Our Thoughts:
These are a purely natural, gluten and sugar free powerhouse of nominess. The texture of chewy date is complimented by the crunchy nut filling, and the whole is dripping with honey. They fit perfectly with my mental preconceptions of Ancient Roman dining. Imagine reclining on elegant couches, opulent fabrics rippling underneath you toward the exquisite mosaic on the floor. Course after course of decadence is served, yet this dish stands apart as the epitome of simple, delicious sweets.
Go on. You know you want to.
Roman Stuffed Dates
DULCIA DOMESTICA: LITTLE HOME CONFECTIONS (WHICH ARE CALLED DULCIARIA) ARE MADE THUS: LITTLE PALMS OR (AS THEY ARE ORDINARILY CALLED) DATES ARE STUFFED—AFTER THE SEEDS HAVE BEEN REMOVED—WITH A NUT OR WITH NUTS AND GROUND PEPPER, SPRINKLED WITH SALT ON THE OUTSIDE AND ARE CANDIED IN HONEY AND SERVED.
Ingredients:
- Dried dates, pitted
- crushed nuts – hazelnuts and cooked chestnuts are perfect
- cinnamon and long pepper (or black pepper), 1 tsp. per 1/2 cup of nuts
- honey to cover the stuffed dates
- a jar to store them in
Chop the nuts small, and mix with cinnamon and pepper. Carefully stuff this mixture into the pitted dates, taking care to not overstuff and tear the fruit. Place the stuffed dates in a jar, propping the dates up to keep the nuts from spilling out. Continue this process until the jar is full. Pour honey over the stuffed dates until all the crevices are filled.
They look delicious, but if they’re smothered in honey, they’re hardly sugar-free. Processed-sugar-free, maybe?
That’s what I was thinking too. Honey is still sugar, just not refined cane sugar. And the dates themselves aren’t really sugar-free either.
I made these for a school project once, but the recipe I had called for sauteeing the honeyed dates until they were carmelized. Fresh from the pan they were hot, sticky, and delicious, but once they cooled, they were nearly impossible to seperate from the plate! I like the sound of adding cinnamon to this. I’ll have to try making them again.
Yummy in my tummy!! :D
Honey is on average 82% sugar….
Delicious, but certainly not guilt free!
These would be amazing as part of a Roman-inspired summer dinner!
These look delicious! I wonder if they can be made ahead of time and canned so they don’t spoil? I’d like to send a preserved jar home with each guest in a travel basket if they can be canned but I dont know if the honey and dates will stand up to the boiling water bath needed to seal the jar – any ideas?
I think they would travel really well. I had mine for months, without proper boiling etc, and they were as good at the end as they were freshly honeyed. Probably better, in fact.
Just made, and had a preliminary sample. Messy, but delicious. I ran the chestnuts in the food processor until they were very finely chopped, then added the hazelnuts, which I toasted and pulsed a few times. Added a little honey to the filling to help it hold together. Used large Medjool dates. I’ll give them a light sprinkle of salt before serving.