Middle Eastern · Dessert
Date Syrup Ice
A date syrup ice is a Middle Eastern granita-style dessert built on nothing more than dates simmered into the water, sharpened with lemon and lifted with cardamom. The dates themselves supply all the sweetness and a deep caramel-molasses flavour, and once the strained liquid is forked through the freezer in stages it turns into a loose, sparkling bed of ice crystals rather than a solid block. Finished with a scatter of chopped pistachio, it is a refreshing, naturally sweetened way to close a rich meal.
$0
15 minsPrep
5 minsCook
220 minsTotal
EasyLevel
Nutrition per serving
90Calories
1.3gProtein
1.5gFat
20.3gCarbs
16.2gSugar
2.5gFiber
98mgSodium
0mgChol
0.2gSat Fat
217mgPotassium
21mgCalcium
0.4mgIron
0mcgVitamin B12
2.7mgVitamin C
0gPolyol
0gAllulose
0gAlcohol
Goes well with
German Pilsner
local
Mint Tea (Atay bi Na'ana)
international
vegetarian
vegan
gluten-free
dairy-free
sweet-spot
hidden-gems
Instructions
1
Combine the water and chopped dates in a small saucepan and warm gently over low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until the dates soften and begin to break down.
2
Transfer the date-water mixture to a blender, add the lemon juice, ground cardamom and salt, and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
3
Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a shallow tray (about 350ml capacity), pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid and leave the date fibres behind.
4
Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then place the tray in the freezer uncovered.
5
After 45 minutes, scrape the semi-frozen edges into the centre with a fork, breaking up any ice crystals. Repeat every 30-40 minutes for about 3 hours, forking through the whole tray each time, until the mixture is made up of fine, fluffy, separate ice crystals throughout.
6
Just before serving, scoop into chilled glasses or bowls and scatter the chopped pistachio over the top.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 170g170g Water
- 50g50g Date, pitted and finely chopped
- 12g12g Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
- 1g1g Cardamom, ground
- 0.5g0.5g Salt
- 6g6g Pistachio, finely chopped, 1
