Last spring, my husband, Damian, and I rented a cottage in the sleepy desert town of Joshua Tree in south-eastern California. We never had a honeymoon, so we were treating this trip a little like one – 10 years on. Springtime in the high desert is anything but dull. The cacti were in full bloom, sprinkling the Hollywood-Western landscape with a confetti of pinks and yellows. We looked out for UFOs and explored the trails of Joshua Tree national park in search of palm oases.
Not far from there is the land of the California date palm. The trees thrive in the hot, dry climate, producing some of the world’s most delicious dates. It is also home to the locally famous date shake. Signs dot the highways with claims of the “world’s best”, but truthfully it was like a mirage: the signs drew us in, but the shakes tasted fake and artificial.
The allure and disappointment of the fabled shake led me to create my own, healthier version when we returned home to London, where many wonderful dates are available from Iran, Egypt and Israel. Look for plump sticky medjool or hadrawi varieties.
Their rich, deep flavour is a natural match with caramel – think sticky toffee pudding. So, for my second recipe, I’ve created an admittedly unhealthy treat complete with caramel, dates, pecans and shortbread – my love letter to this amazing fruit.
Date shake
Serves 4
25 dates, pitted
2 bananas
500g unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp date syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Ice
1 Put everything in a blender and puree. Drink right away.
Caramel-pecan date bars
Makes 12 pieces
250g pecans
150g dates
150g light brown sugar
225g unsalted butter, softened, plus 25g for the caramel, and some for greasing
¼ tsp sea salt
330g plain flour
100ml water
800g caster or granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
225ml double cream
1 Butter and line with parchment a 25 x 40cm baking tin. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
2 Spread the nuts out on a paper-lined sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes. Check a couple of nuts by breaking them in half to see if they are toasted. They should be golden brown. Coarsely chop the nuts and set them aside.
3 Combine the brown sugar with 225g softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat with ¼ tsp salt until pale and fluffy. Add the flour and mix on a low speed until just combined.
4 Press the dough into the prepared baking tin and bake until golden; about 10-15 minutes. Let the biscuit base cool completely.
5 In a large pot, combine the water, caster or granulated sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Place over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is melted, do not stir the syrup. Have the double cream measured and ready with a whisk nearby. Place a sugar thermometer in the pot and cook until the sugar starts to caramelise and reaches the hard-crack stage, or about 148C/298F. At this point, you should smell the caramel and even see a wisp of smoke rising from the pot. Turn off the heat and pour the cream into the caramel slowly, whisking as you go. Large plumes of steam will be released, so proceed with caution.
6 Add the remaining 25g of butter and whisk to combine. Let the caramel cool for 15 minutes.
7 Pour the cooled nuts and dates into the caramel and stir to combine. Pour this over the baked biscuit base, then put in the oven once more for about 7 minutes to set. Watch they don’t bubble over. It may be a good idea to put some kitchen foil down in your oven to catch any drips.
8 Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool down for about 30-40 minutes. Cut into fingers and serve. Keeps well for about 5 days in an airtight container.
- Claire Ptak is an author and food stylist and runs Violet Bakery in London. She is the author of the Violet Bakery Cookbook (Square Peg); @violetcakeslondon
