I’m working with IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America) on their upcoming Halal and Healthy workshops around the Chicagoland area where I’ll be conducting food demos on four different recipes, all super simple and all using halal-certified products.
These uber delicious Medjool dates stuffed with almonds and topped with melted chocolate and pistachios are just just one of four recipes I’ll be making and our audience tasting at each workshop.
If you can’t be at any particular workshop, you can still enjoy the flavors, the simplicity of the process and see which halal-certified products can be used to make it. Start out with simple ingredients: Godiva chocolate bar (I like anything above 70% cacao), Medjool dates, whole almonds, and pistachios to top it off.
You’ll need to make a double boiler by placing a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water. The chocolate will go into the bowl to melt instead of ‘cooking’ at the bottom which can separate the solids and even burn the chocolate.
Before starting, I suggest taking the pit out of the dates. Once the chocolate is melted, it sets rather quickly so you want to be ready to drizzle away.
Just place the almond inside in the same place where the pit was.
Get the water boiling, then turn it to low before adding the bowl where the chocolate will go.
Add the chocolate by breaking it into pieces first- it’ll melt faster and easier that way.
Chop up the pistachios as you wait a bit for the chocolate to melt (or do this ahead of time, too).
Back to the melting chocolate, I add a little milk sometimes if I can see that I may need more of the melted chocolate- this helps to extend it and makes it more milky, especially if you’re not into purely dark chocolate.
Get out all the lumps. If you’re using chocolate with almonds, you have to see beyond the lumps to know when it’s smooth enough. Just stick to a texture you prefer and like. Keep whisking until you get there.
Drizzle away.
Add the chopped pistachios on top. Serve immediately or chill and serve when you’re ready. Just cover them in the meantime.
For more information about the locations, dates and times of the workshops, please visit the IFANCA Facebook or Twitter pages. Of course I’ll be sharing on the My Halal Kitchen Facebook and Twitter pages, too. We’d love to see you in person!
- 20 large Natural Delights Medjool dates
- 1 small bag Awesome raw almonds
- 1 small bag Awesome pistachios, chopped
- 1 Dark Chocolate Almond Godiva bar, 72% cacao (225 grams), melted
- Wash and dry the dates and remove any pits, but do not break the dates apart. Stuff each date with just one almond.
- On a serving platter, arrange the stuffed dates.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the entire bar of chocolate, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
- Once the chocolate is completely melted, immediately drizzle over the dates then add a few chopped pistachios to the top. Serve immediately.
- If make-ahead preparation is necessary, stuff the dates and keep refrigerated. When ready to make and serve, remove the dates and bring to room temperature. Melt the chocolate and finish the recipe as instructed.
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