CHOPPED PITTED DATES RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Trim the lamb of any hard fat, cut into chunks and season all over. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the lamb in 3-4 batches over a high heat for 1-2 mins until lightly coloured. Add 1 tbsp more oil between each batch and transfer to a bowl each time a batch is browned.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same dish over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 mins or until softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp flaked sea salt. Cook for 1 min, stirring. Return the lamb to the dish and add 1.5 litres of water, the saffron, cinnamon and lemons. Bring to a simmer, stirring a few times. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hr.
• Carefully remove the dish from the oven and stir in the apricots, dates and half the pistachios, then cover once more and return to the oven. Cook for a further 30 mins or until the lamb is very tender.
• Transfer the dish to the hob and adjust the seasoning to taste. Mix the cornflour with the rosewater and 3 tbsp cold water, then stir into the tagine. Cook over a medium heat for 1-2 mins or until the sauce thickens. (Thickening the sauce with cornflour isn’t traditional but helps the tagine to freeze more successfully.) When ready to serve, roughly chop the remaining nuts and sprinkle over the top. Garnish with coriander and serve with couscous or rice.

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, oil, tahini, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed until creamy and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Beat in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to low and beat in dry ingredients, chopped dates, and three quarters of chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, just until combined, about 30 seconds. Cover dough and chill at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°. Using a #10 cookie scoop (about 6 Tbsp.), portion out dough onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3" apart. Top with remaining chocolate and press gently to adhere. Gently press 1 date quarter into top of each cookie. Sprinkle with sea salt.
• Working with one baking sheet at a time, bake cookies until golden brown around the edges, 13–15 minutes. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.