Date or Fig and Walnut Balls

Name: Date or Fig and Walnut Balls
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Makes about 12
Cuisine: Middle East
Ingredients: Sweetened coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut or Confectioners’ sugar for dredging; 1 cup dried figs or dates (preferably Medjool), trimmed and/or pitted; 1 cup dried figs or dates (preferably Medjool), trimmed and/or pitted; 1 cup dried figs or dates (preferably Medjool), trimmed and/or pitted; 2 tablespoons cold butter, optional; 1 cup walnuts; Sweetened coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut or Confectioners’ sugar for dredging; Sweetened coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut or Confectioners’ sugar for dredging

Preparation info

Makes about
12

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
20 min

Appears in

The Best Recipes in the World

By Mark Bittman

Published 2005

About

When I was a kid, these were always sold in candy shops, and I loved them. They were considered far too exotic to make at home; or at least no one would consider doing such a thing. Years later I learned how. Turns out, of course, they couldn’t be easier, and now they are a wintertime staple in my house.

Ingredients

1 cup dried figs or dates (preferably Medjool), trimmed and/or pitted
2 tablespoons cold butter,

Middle East
Dessert
Vegan
Gluten-free
Winter

Method

Combine the fruit and butter in a small food processor. (If you are not using the butter, which is not essential, just start with the figs or dates alone.) Process until quite smooth, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides if necessary. Add the walnuts and pulse to blend; you don’t want to process the walnuts to a powder, but they should be finely chopped.