Stuffed Dates

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup ground almonds
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange flower water
• food coloring (optional)
• 12 mejhoul dates or 12 other sweet dates, variety with pits
• 12 walnut halves or 12 almonds, unsalted toasted without skins

Recipe

• 1 in a mixing bowl, add the ground almonds, powdered sugar, and orange flower water. add 1 tbsp water and work into a paste. the dough should be slightly moist; add a few more drops of water (or orange flower water) if needed.
• 2 if using food coloring, divide the paste into even parts, add 5 or 6 drops of a single color to each, and work inches
• 3 wipe the dates with a damp cloth. cut a lengthwise incision across the top of each date and carefully remove the pit. take 1 tsp or so of the almond paste, roll it between your palms into a spherical shape, and tuck inside the date. it should bulge out of the opening. repeat with the remaining paste and dates. garnish each date with a walnut pressed slightly edgewise into the almond paste before serving.