Date Filling

Name: Date Filling (Hashu ’l-Tamur)
Cuisine: Iraqi
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon coarsely crushed coriander or aniseeds; About ¼ cup (60 ml) water or orange juice; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon rose water or orange blossom water; ¼ cup (1 oz/30 g) toasted sesame seeds; 2 cups (12 oz/340 g) pitted dates; 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, optional; 2 tablespoons (1 oz/30 g) butter

Hashu ’l-Tamur

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Delights from the Garden of Eden

By Nawal Nasrallah

Published 2019

About

Traditionally, dates are softened by cooking and mashing them with lots of clarified butter (ghee). Cocoa powder enhances the taste and color of the dates, but it is a modern addition.

Ingredients

2 cups (12 oz/340 g) pitted dates
About ¼

Asia
Iraq
Garnish
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

Put dates, water, and butter in a heavy skillet or a heavy medium pot. Cook over low heat, mashing dates with the back of a wooden spoon until they soften. Mix with the rest of the ingredients, and shape as shown in ‘Shaping Kleicha’ opposite.