Moroccan Date Dessert Recipe

So easy to make and such a delicious treat these Moroccan stuffed dates are great as a sweet snack, or serve them after a flavoursome Moroccan dinner.

Sweets are a big part of the Moroccan cuisine. These stuffed dates are particular popular during the month of ramadan, during which these sweets are served to break the daily fast.

But at any time of the day, or month of the year sweets are an important part of Moroccan daily life. From breakfast time, snacking throughout the day and with dessert, sugary good are always part of them. I always get very strange looks when I ask for mint tea without sugar. And often it is impossible to get as the mint tea has been brewing with the an enormous dose of sugar already added.

Moroccan Date Sweets

Though I don't have a big sweet tooth, these stuffed dates are delicious. Filled with a orange flower flavoured almond paste and lots of added sugar 😉 Some would decorate these dates with even more (coloured) sugar, I prefer to add a bit of extra nuttiness by using a walnut as decoration. Of course you can adjust the decoration to your own liking.

In any event it is impossible to completely go sugar-free in Morocco, so you better pick a few of your personal favourites to enjoy while you are in Moroccan company.

These stuffed dates are very easy and quick to make. I find handy to have sweet almond paste ready in my cupboard for any 'last minute event' to quickly be able to stuff some dates. ENJOY! Please don't forget to add @1 to your instagram posts, I always love to see others creativity.

Creamy Stuffed Dates To Boost Your Energy

You can adjust the sweetness of the almond paste by adjusting the amount of sugar. Almonds, cinnamon and orange flower are a very common mixture in Moroccan sweets. But if you don't like orange flower you could use orange or lemon zest instead.

Serving: 1 g | Calories: 135.28 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.59 g | Protein: 2.2 g | Fat: 5.33 g | Saturated Fat: 0.41 g | Sodium: 1.72 mg | Fiber: 2.44 g | Sugar: 19.35 g | Vitamin A: 0.19 IU | Vitamin C: 0.18 mg | Calcium: 3.45 mg | Iron: 2.75 mg

These stuffed dates are part of my new (and under continues construction) series; 'Travels of taste'. We use our taste buds to travel the world and discover the use of our senses and imaginations to meet other cultures through food. So today we find ourselves in Morocco. Discover all the flavours Morocco has to offer, check out my full Moroccan 'travels of taste' post; >>> Morocco - the flavours of the souk

The Queen Of Orange Desserts (moroccan Recipe)

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Maamoul Cookies (date Filled Cookies)

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.Citrus, Date and Almond M’hencha with Orange Blossom Honey Syrup – A delicious, exotic Moroccan delicacy! A sweet, date and almond paste wrapped in honey syrup soaked filo pastry.  It tastes just as amazing as it looks!

A few years ago, I introduced my husband to baklava, and it was love at first taste. He couldn’t get enough of the addictive, rich, crunchy, syrup-soaked filo layers and the nuttiness. So when I first got the chance to try M’hencha – a “cake” made with sweetened almond paste wrapped in flaky filo dough, I knew right away that I had to acquaint my husband with this glorious Moroccan dessert (a relative of baklava in terms of taste).

But it did take me a while to perfect this. The end result is this deliciously exotic, but not too rich, Citrus, Date and Almond M’hencha with Orange Blossom Honey Syrup , and I’m going to share with you guys all the tips I learned while making almond m’hencha. This gorgeous Moroccan dessert is also called “almond snake” or “snake cake” because of the way the filo is wrapped around the almond paste in a coiled form. The almond filling is nutty and almost fudgy in texture, and it’s wrapped with crispy, flaky filo pastry that’s been soaked in a delicious honey syrup.

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BUT I decided to sweeten the almond paste with dates instead of powdered sugar, and add some refreshing citrus flavors to brighten up the flavor profile of this pastry cake. And instead of the almond paste, I flavored the honey syrup with orange blossom instead (because it pairs so well with almond and citrus flavors – like I did with these orange blossom marshmallows).

I was able to achieve all the vibrant flavors of this citrus, date and almond m’hencha thanks to Nielsen-Massey products! There’s always a bottle of their vanilla in my pantry, and I’m a huge fan of their pure flavor range as well!

It’s really no surprise why Nielsen-Massey products are of such high quality. They are a family owned and managed producer of premier pure vanillas and flavor extracts. They use fewer ingredients to produce their highest-quality products from vanillas to other flavor extracts. Their products are also all-natural, certified gluten free, kosher, allergen-free and GMO-free.

Traditional Moroccan Stuffed Dates With Dulce De Leche And Almonds Served With Milk Stock Photo

For this citrus, date and almond m’hencha recipe, I used lemon and orange extract for the almond paste. Using these extracts saved me the time of zesting lemon and oranges to get the same result in terms of flavor and quality. They add a delightful citrus flavor that perks up the taste of the almond paste. Because these Nielsen-Massey products use a proprietary process to gently extract the delicate flavor without losing any of the sweetness or richness of the original ingredient, you can rest assured that the flavors in the lemon and orange extracts, and orange blossom water are pure and strong.

Both of these extracts are PERFECT for cakes and desserts. And they pair beautifully with savory dishes too. In this almond m’hencha cake, the orange blossom honey syrup complements the citrus flavor in the almond paste and adds a lovely floral sweetness to this dessert. It soaks up the filo pastry and infuses it with that lovely citrus flavor too. Unlike its close relative baklava, neither the almond paste, nor the m’hencha cake as a whole here are as rich and sweet.

Another change that I had to make to create this date and almond m’hencha, was to use filo dough (or phyllo dough). Traditional almond m’hencha uses a dough called Warka which is a traditional Moroccan pastry (also called Moroccan filo dough), but filo pastry is a perfectly acceptable substitute.

Moroccan Stuffed Dates Recipe

The result is this glorious, delicious almond snake cake, that’s not too sweet (surprisingly, I know), but has a uniquely exotic, floral, citrusy flavor profile. It’s an impressive dessert, perfect for any occasion, or as a tea-time snack. If you like baklava, then you cannot miss this almond m’hencha!

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“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”

Delicious Moroccan Dessert Recipes

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Dini Kodippili is a professional food writer, recipe developer, food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. Dini has been featured on HuffPost, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Delish, Food & Wine and more. Learn More

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