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Coconut Dates 
Tumr Bel Nargine  

Ingredients

- 400 g. blanched almond
- 750 g. soft pitted dates
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- 1\2 cup butter
 

 1. Fry the almonds in little until golden brown, then place them on absorbent paper towels for a few minutes to absorb any excess oil.
2. Melt butter in a heavy based sauce pan. Add dates and ground cardamom. Stir well over low heat, until well blended. (Dates should not stick to the bottom and sides of the pan.) Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. Wet your palm and place a small amount of date mixture in the centre of your palm and shape into a smooth ball. Indent the centre with your thumb and press an almond into it. fold the sides and reshape into an oval or date shape. Repeat with remaining date mixture. 
4. Roll each date in the desiccated coconut and arrange on a serving dish.
5. Serves: 8 -10 persons.
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Baklava

The Baklava is the sweet of the Middle East.
It is found all over the Arab world although it probably originated in Turkey.
The Baklawa pastry used to be made by hand which was very laborious.
Now-a-days the pastry is found in any Greek or Middle Eastern store and is known as Filo pastry. The pastry is filled with either pistachio nuts or walnuts. Then when cooked it is drenched in thick syrup.

 

Ingredients

1 packet of Filo Pastry

3 oz of melted butter

12 oz of chopped pistachio or walnuts

3 tablespoons of sugar with a little cardamom powder

syrup ( 3 cups of sugar, 2 cups of water, a little rose water - see page *)

( serves 4 - 6 people )

Method

  1. Brush each layer of pastry with melted butter. Put half in a tray the same size as the pastry.
  2. Mix the nuts with sugar and cardamom powder and spread this over the Filo Layer.
  3. Put the other half of the pastry on top, spreading butter between each sheet. With a sharp knife cut into both halves, of the pastry, diamond shapes.
  4. Heat the butter till it is really hot and pour this over the pastry, the top layers will crinkle.
  5. Put the tray in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes on a medium heat till golden brown. Take the tray out and cool.
  6. Make the syrup in the usual way. When both are cool pour this over the Baklawa and cut . Separate each diamond shaped sweet.