Almond and Date Sweets

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup fine powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• orange blossom water
• Almond filling:
• 2 cups ground almonds
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• How to prepare the almond crescents:
• Roll out the dough into a circle and cut it like pizza into triangles. Place a little almond filling in each triangle... Roll the triangle and bend it into a crescent shape, then sprinkle the top with a little grated almond and place it in a preheated oven. Bake the almond crescents for about ten minutes, or until the dough begins to turn golden...
• Date dough:
• Pitted dates, softened in the microwave, then placed in the electric mixer with a tablespoon of butter and orange blossom water...
• Roll out the dough into a rectangle... Place a line of filling across it horizontally. Roll up the dough and cut as shown in the picture... Sprinkle the tops of the pieces with sesame seeds and bake in a hot oven for ten minutes, or until the pieces begin to turn golden....
• Almond and date sweets recipe from a friend of the What Are You Cooking Today website
• Rana Jarkas
• Click on Rana's name to visit her profile on our website and enjoy all her delicious recipes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
2. Make the dough: beat butter at room temperature with the powdered sugar until creamy and light, add the egg, vanilla and orange blossom water and mix well, add the flour gradually and knead until you have a smooth, cohesive dough. Wrap it and let it rest for a few minutes in the fridge if possible.
3. Divide the dough in half: one portion for the almond sweets and the other for the date sweets.
4. For the almond filling: mix ground almonds with sugar, add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a little orange blossom water, mix until the filling holds together and can be shaped.
5. Make the almond crescents: roll out half the dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle about 3–4 mm thick. Cut the circle into wedges (like pizza slices). Place a little almond filling at the base of each wedge, roll the wedge toward the tip to form a crescent shape, pressing the edges to seal the filling. Sprinkle a little grated almond over the tops and arrange the pieces on the baking tray, leaving space between them.
6. Bake the almond crescents in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes or until the tops begin to take on a light golden color. Remove and let cool on a rack.
7. Make the date filling: heat the pitted dates in the microwave or over steam until soft, place them in a blender with 1 tablespoon butter and a dash of orange blossom water and blend until you have a smooth, cohesive paste.
8. Make the date pieces: roll out the other half of the dough into a rectangle about 3–4 mm thick. Spread a line of date filling along the long side of the rectangle and roll the dough tightly into a log. Cut the log into slices of the desired size and arrange them on the baking tray. Sprinkle the top of each piece with sesame seeds.
9. Bake the date pieces in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes or until the tops acquire a light golden color. Remove and let cool before serving.
10. Serve the almond and date sweets with tea or coffee — enjoy. If you like, allow the pieces to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.