date and walnut gelato...or call it ice cream...


Someone very sweet and nice had got me a packet of dates from Muscat. These were the best dates I had tasted till date. Yes, till date :-)

Almost jelly like dates, a nice treat when I felt like having something sweet. Just one date would be enough to make one sated with a complex sweetness. I used them for this Gelato or Ice cream, whatever you choose to call it...

Very easy, using just two ingredients, just two hours of soaking and 5 minutes of grinding it smooth. Not much of a recipe right?

But it is a great dessert for someone who wants to stay away from sugar and still wants to serve a tempting desserts to her/his family and friends.

It helps that the dessert is a 'no cooking' type and uses just two ingredients.

To make 4-5 servings you need...

Walnuts 50 gm
good quality dates 12 (the weight after soaking and removing seeds was 125 gm)

You see I forgot to weight he dates before I soaked them and there were no more dates left after experimenting with this recipe twice. Yes, the first time I used just 25 gms of walnuts and the Gelato was too sweet for my taste. You can always adjust the quantity of both the ingredients to adjust the nuttiness and sweetness quotient. The consistency of the Gelato remains the same creamy thick in both cases.

procedure...

Grind the walnuts first in the food processor. I used my trusted mixie jar. Blend the walnuts in short spurts till it becomes almost pasty.

Add the dates(seeds removed) and blend till a smooth paste is formed. If required, add the soaking water in small quantity. I added 1 tbsp of the soaking water, the rest was added to my herb tea.

The texture of this Gelato is wonderfully creamy and can be served right away if you don't want it chilled. It doesn't get icy when you freeze it as it has very low water content and the creaminess of the walnuts. So you are not required to blend it again and freeze the second time over.

The Gelato can be served right after an our of freezing. Simply chilling the Date and Walnut Gelato works fine too.


The serving size is quite small as I find it quite rich in flavors.

I would like some whipped fresh cream on it sometimes, my parents loved it with clotted cream (fresh malai) though. Try having this dessert in just a heaped tablespoon serving size. And then see if you need more. I am sure it would make you feel sated in just that much...

Cheers...

Comments

  1. Hmmmmmmm looks yum with healthy dates.

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  2. This is the healthiest gelato I have ever seen. Dates from gulf are the sweetest and of best quality. I would surely like to treat my family with this guilt free dessert :)

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  3. very interesting flavour wise! will make and see...

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  4. YUM! Lucky you. I have heard loads about dates from the Middle East. They are sweet, fleshy and taste wonderful {not like the local ones here}. Love the gelato. Dates & walnuts is a winning combination; frozen in a glass with cream - gelato heaven! Nicely photographed Sangeeta.

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    1. Thank you Deeba. This 'nicely photographed' complement makes me float in the heaven :-)

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  5. I love using dates in my desserts. You've got my vote for this "gelato" ;)

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  6. someone just got me dates from Bahrain ! This I am going to try !

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  7. I have a packet of arabian dates, will try it soon. For a change this gelato is dairy free and am loving it !

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  8. What a friendly gelato recipe, I have to make for my dad too

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