Basically candy in health form.

These dates are so creamy and loaded with deliciousness that you might forget what it is you’re actually eating- a date.

Nadav(who is 1) is obsessed and I mean OBSESSED with these- I cut them into little pieces and I might admit that he ate half a tray of them once. I ate the other half. This is what happens when we are home alone together and recipe testing and we come up with something reallllyyy good.

Which happens often when dates are involved!!! and Lotus spread, and chocolate, and maple candied walnuts.

This is Nadav eating dates(and rocks if you look a little closer HAHA).

Just biting into one of these, hitting the chocolate crunch and then the real walnut crunch, and then sinking your teeth into sweet medjool date, is addictive.

Stuffed dates should last for a while(I think- they never actually last long in my house) because dates are great like that, so you can keep these in your fridge and satisfy your cravings anytime.

Because these “candies” are also really gorgeous you can serve them up as a dessert for hosting!!! Aren’t we always looking for make-ahead-desserts on the healthier side??! YES WE ARE.

To make: prep your ingredients.

1.Buy nice large, sweet Medjool dates- be sure they are soft and not dried up on the outsides. Remove the little hard piece at the top, open up and remove the pit. Check each date to make sure it is clean! If they rip into two pieces that’s okay- they are sticky and will hold together just fine.

2.With a spoon, mix together your filling- Lotus spread, peanut butter, and honey, until it is nice and creamy and begging to be eaten. It will beg, trust me.

3.Roast the walnuts- drizzle walnuts with maple syrup and roast or toast in the oven for a few minutes.

4.Melt chocolate- dark or milk(I used dark), in the microwave or in a double boiler. I keep the extra chocolate in an airtight container- I use these glass pyrex containers so when I want to make some dates, I can just take off the lid and pop the container into the micro!

Assemble all of your ingredients. Fill each date with filling, and press the two halves together. You want to put extra so it comes out at the top a little- and press a walnut or two- into the filling. This will keep the walnut in place.

Once all the dates are stuffed, drizzle dates with chocolate, and press another walnut into the top. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, place on a parchment sheet and into the fridge to harden. Remove right before serving or snacking. Enjoy!

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Smoked Picanha with Turkish coffee Rub

Estee

Perfectly seasoned and smoked Picanha with a turkish coffee rub.

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Servings 4 people

Equipment

• smoker
• butcher paper or parchment
• meat probe

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 Tbs date honey (silan), per side
• 1 Tbs coarse salt, per side
• 2 tsp coarse black pepper, per side
• 3 tsp garlic powder, per side
• 2 tsp sweet paprika, per side
• 1 1/2 tsp turkish coffee(black coffee grounds), per side
• sprinkle of cayenne
• flaky salt, to finish(we use maldon)

Instructions

 

• Bring the meat to room temperature(this takes about 20 minutes to one hour). This is a crucial step to ensure the meat cooks evenly!
• Meanwhile, preheat your smoker to 220°f (105°c).  You can use a wood, charcoal, or pellet smoker.
• Crosshatch the meat, making sure to just cut the fat.
• Pour over silan(date honey), and massage into the fat.
• Sprinkle over seasonings evenly. (my husband likes to wear gloves for this step)
• Pat the seasonings into the meat, getting inside the crevices of the crosshatch and all edges.
• Place the meat into the smoker, fat side up. Insert your meat probe into the thickest part of the meat(not the fat), halfway through. Close the lid of the smoker.
• Keep an eye on the probe and remove meat when it reaches your desired doneness. (we take out the meat when it reaches 134°f (54°c- 56°c) which is medium rare. This takes around 1.5 hours but the time will vary based on your smoker.
• Wrap the meat in butcher paper like you would wrap a present. If you dont have butcher paper use a large square of parchment paper on top of a square of tin foil.
• Let sit for 30 minutes and then slice thinly against the grain. Gently press down on the pieces to fan them out and slide a knife under the stack of slices. Transfer to a long serving platter, sprinkle with flaky salt to finish, serve, and enjoy!