Best Warm Date Syrup Tahini Platter Recipes

DATE SYRUP (SILAN)

Steps:

• Chop your dates roughly.
• Soak your dates in boiling water for 20 minutes to get rid of impurities, discard the soaking water afterwards.
• Place the soaked dates in a large lidded pot with 1 litre / 4 cups of water. Bring to a gentle boil, simmer, covered, for 1-2 hrs (2 is better if you have time).
• Allow it to cool down completely.
• Place a sieve over a large bowl and line the sieve with a large piece of cheesecloth or use a nut bag.
• Squeeze all of the water from the cooked dates really well. You'll need to do this in smaller batches unless you have a very large piece of cheesecloth. You should get about 2 cups of liquid.
• Pour the date juice into a pot and allow it to come to a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 45-60 minutes until the excess water evaporates and the syrup reduces by approximately half. If you dip a spoon in it, the syrup should coat the back of it - the syrup will become even thicker after cooling. If the syrup is too thin for your liking, return it to the heat and reduce some more, but be careful not to over reduce.

SESAME, DATE AND BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Grease an 8-inch/20-centimeter aluminum springform cake pan with butter, and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
• Make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together tahini and orange juice, and then stir in dates, bananas and sesame seeds, separating the date and banana pieces as you add them to the bowl so they don't clump together. Set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, in two additions, until combined, scraping the bowl down as needed.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just to combine. Add tahini-date mixture with the speed still on low and mix until blended, then spoon the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top.
• Transfer cake to oven and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Without removing it from the oven, carefully cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil. Continue to bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake is cooked through and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• While the cake is baking, make the icing: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, on medium speed, until combined and airy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to mix thoroughly. Set aside until cake has cooled.
• Make the caramelized bananas: Heat broiler on its highest setting, with a rack placed about 4 inches/10 centimeters beneath the heat source. Arrange banana slices closely together on a small baking pan and sprinkle generously with sugar. Broil bananas for 2 to 3 minutes, until sugar has melted and caramelized. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• To assemble, remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a plate. Spread icing generously over the top of the cake. Arrange the caramelized bananas on top, then drizzle with date syrup.

WARM DATE SYRUP & TAHINI PLATTER

Steps:

• Pour the tahini on a serving platter.
• Drizzle or pour date syrup in circles and swirl with the edge of a spoon to make a pretty pattern.
• Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan and sprinkle over top (this is what warms it up slightly).
• Sprinkle on ground cinnamon and serve immediately with sliced apples and pita wedges to dip.
• Enjoy!

BREAD WITH TAHINI AND SYRUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and butter. Mix lightly with your fingertips until dough forms pea-sized pieces. Stir in milk and lightly knead until dough forms a ball. Transfer dough to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured board, shape dough into a log and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place on the floured board under a slightly damp towel for 30 minutes.
• Stir together the tahini, maple syrup and melted butter, and set aside.
• Roll four of the dough balls into 7-inch rounds, and coat the surface of three of the rounds with a thin layer of the tahini mixture and stack them on top of each other. Place the fourth, uncoated round on top and press the edges together to seal the stack. Place a towel over the top and repeat process with remaining four dough balls. (You should have extra tahini mixture left over). Let them rest for 30 minutes.
• Place one of the stacks on a lightly floured board, sprinkle with a little flour and gently roll into a larger 9-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Spread half of the remaining tahini mixture over the top, and roll up like a jelly roll. Use a sharp knife to cut into 4 pieces and place them under a towel. Repeat with remaining round. Let them rest for 15 minutes, then roll each piece of dough into a 6-inch square.
• Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with the melted butter. Place one square of dough in the skillet and cook for about 1 minute, or until dough begins to bubble and turn light brown. Brush bread lightly with melted butter, flip and bake other side for 30 seconds to a minute, or until slightly crisp on the outside but still soft. Transfer bread to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm, and cook remaining bread.
• Serve hot, drizzled with warm maple syrup.

DATE & TAHINI PORRIDGE

Steps:

• Put the Quaker Rolled Oats in a medium saucepan with the milk, half the sliced dates and a small pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 4-5 mins until creamy and thickened. Add a splash of water if you prefer a thinner porridge. Stir through 2 tsp tahini.
• Divide the porridge between two bowls, and spoon 1 tsp tahini over each, scatter over the remaining dates and a sprinkle of the toasted sesame seeds.

TAHINI AND DATE SYRUP DIP (DIBIS W'RASHI)

Steps:

• Blend all the ingredients together in a bowl.
• Serve as an accompaniment to bread.