Fennel marzipan-stuffed dates

In Greece, wild fennel is called ‘marathon’ and lent its name to the region where the plant grew abundantly. When the Greeks triumphed over the invading Persians in 490BC, legend has it that a young soldier, Pheidippides, ran the fatally long distance from Marathon to Athens clutching a fennel stem to announce the victory, and so inspired the eponymous run.

Fennel seeds, with their enchanting herbal-liquorice taste, pair beautifully with almonds and the caramel stickiness of dates.