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Tmar mehchi (Moroccan almond-stuffed dates)
Dates filled with orange-blossom almond paste, tinted for weddings
Tmar mehchi is the stuffed date of Fez and Marrakech, piled high on silver trays at weddings, engagements and Eid, and offered to guests with mint tea. Soft dates are filled with a homemade almond paste perfumed with orange-blossom water, often tinted pale green or pink to match the celebration, then scored with a knife so the filling shows. They are soft, rich and caramel-sweet, with a floral, nutty middle. The paste here is mixed from ground almonds and icing sugar, so there is no shop marzipan, which can contain egg white. It is naturally egg-free: the dates' sticky flesh and a few spoonfuls of orange-blossom water bind the almond filling. Chef's tip: add the orange-blossom water a little at a time and stop when the paste is firm like play dough. The common mistake is a wet paste, which oozes out and makes the dates slippery.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz ground almonds
- 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar
- 2 tbsp orange-blossom water
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 2 drops green or pink food colouring (optional)
- 24 blanched almond halves (optional)to decorate
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Slit each of 24 soft dates (Medjool or Deglet Nour) down one side, without cutting right through, and pull out the stone.
Step 2: Blitz 5 ½ oz ground almonds, 2 ⅛ oz icing sugar and 1 pinch ground cinnamon in a food processor for 30 seconds until fine and evenly mixed.
Step 3: Add 2 tbsp orange-blossom water a teaspoon at a time, pulsing, until the mixture clumps into a smooth, firm paste. Add a few drops of water only if it is still crumbly.
Step 4: Divide the paste in two and knead 2 drops green or pink food colouring into one half if you like.
Step 5: Roll the paste into 24 small olive shapes of about 9 g each.
Step 6: Press one into each date and pinch the date gently round it so a strip of paste shows along the top.
Step 7: Score the paste with three diagonal lines using the back of a knife, or press in 24 blanched almond halves. Keeps 5 days covered in the fridge; serve at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 225 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tmar mehchi (Moroccan almond-stuffed dates) take?
- About 30 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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