NEW SEASON’S DATES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 784, 30 July 1954, Page 22

NEW SEASON’S DATES

HE new season’s dates are now on the market, well packed and stoned, in twopound packets, as well as smaller sizes. These packaged dates have been treated before leaving Irak so that no little white worms can develop. Although we are sometimes told that only the very best dried fruits and cereals can develop’ these little creatures, most of us prefer our food without them! It has always been accepted that dates have fine food value, and that Arabs could manage quite well in the desert for some time if fortified by a few handfuls of dates. Try dates and cheese for good cut lunches. Both are nourishing and sustaining, and the cheese offsets the sweetness of the dates. A few nuts as well, and the meal is complete. Dates in Salads Add a few dates to individual salad plates: crisp small lettuce leaves holding a slice of peach, some chopped celery, a spoonful of cream cheese, or a small wedge of other cheese, slices of hard-boiled egg, asparagus tips, some thin slices of ham rolled up-almost any fancied mixture. Date Cakes Cream 4 oz. butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add 1 teaspoon golden syrup, then 1 egg, and 1 cup flour mixed with a small teaspoon baking powder. Put on cold greased tray in teaspoons, leaving about 4% mixture in the basin. Put a date on each one, then cover with a little more of the mixture. Bake till done. Date and Nut Loaf One cup dates soaked in 1 cup boiling water with 1 teaspoon baking soda. Beat together % Ib. butter with 1% breakfast cup sugar, and vanilla to taste. Add 1 egg, then 2 breakfast cups flour, with 1 teaspoon baking powder; add this alternately, with date mixture. Lastly add 42 cup walnuts. Bake 1 hour. Date and Walnut Cake Three breakfast cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup dates, 2 teaspoons cocoa, 3% cup butter, 1 cup walnuts, 2 tablespoons. vinegar, 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved ina little cold milk. Cream butter and sugar, add cocoa and milk with soda dissolved. Add flour, walnuts and dates, vinegar last. Bake in a slow oven. 4s Date Scones (1) One heaped breakfast cup of flour, 1 heaped cup wholemeal, pinch salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons treacle, 1 tablespoon chopped dates. Mix dry ingredients well, add dates and melted treacle. Mix to soft dough with milk, roll out, cut into rounds, and make in a hot oven 20 minutes. (2)/ Make up usual scone recipe, or use this one: 2 cups flour, 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder, 1 ‘tablespoon butter, pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and about %4 to 1 cup milk (or milk and water) to mix. Sieve flour, etc., rub in the shortening lightly, and mix to seft dough. Roll out not too

thinly, spread about half with cut-up dates (about 11% cups) and cover with ' other half of dough. Pat lightly to-

gether, cut into squares or diamond shapes with sharp knife, brush over with a little milk to glaze, and bake in quick oven,'15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of scones. Date and Treacle Loaf One and a half breakfast cups wholemeal, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1% cup treacle, 1 large cup milk, % Ib. raisins, 12 Ib, dates or any nuts or fruit that is liked, 142 breakfast cups flour, %% cup sugar (scant cup), 1 oz. butter, 1 teaspoon salt, ¥% 1b. sultanas. Mix dry ingredients, then fruit, and milk, then butter and treacle melted and added last. Put in loaf tin and bake in moderate oven 142 hours. Keeps moist for days. Date and Honey Scones Two cups wholemeal, % teaspoon salt, 34 to 1 cup milk, 4% cup dates, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder, 42 cup raisins, 1 tablespoon butter. Rub in butter-and honey to the flour, add the dates and raisins chopped, and the milk. It is better to have them too wet than too dry. Put on cold scone tray on the first ledge in the gas oven. Preheat oven at reg. 8 for 15 minutes. Roll out the mixture, and brush over with milk or egg. Cut into shapes and prick all over with a fork. Little Date Pies Pastry: 4% Ib. butter, 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons fine sugar, pinch salt, vanilla, Mix together, then line very small cup-cake pans with this pastry. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in 300 degrees oven. Fill with date filling: 2 cups chopped dates, 2-3rd cup sugar, 2-3rd cup boiling water. Mix together, and lastly add 1 tablespoon butter. Cook 6 to 8 minutes. Frosting: 1 cup brown sugar, 1-3rd cup boiling water. Let boil as for boiled frosting. When done, add a lump of butter and beat till creamy. Put a dab on each pie, Canadian Date Cake Two cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1% Ib. butter, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 4% cup cold water, 1 cup dates, 1 cup walnuts, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon maple or golden syrup. Use breakfast cup for measuring. Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg. Dissolve baking soda in water, and pour over dates. Let stand 1 hour. Add this to the creamed sugar, etc. Mix in syrup and flour. Bake 142 hours, moderate oven in tin lined with buttered paper. Cheese and Date Fleghts Five ounces flour, 1 egg yolk, 3 oz. butter, 1 tablespoon milk, 2 oz. grated . cheese (dry), % teaspoon cayenne, pinch salt. Rub butter into flour, add other ingredients, bind with egg yolk and milk, then roll out and cover one half with dates. Fold over and cut into fingers. Bake about 15 minutes. Make dates soft by adding a little hot water. They must be quite cold before spreading on paste,