Makes approx. 600 ml (20 fl oz)
400 g (14 oz/2½ cups) dates, pitted
800 ml (28 fl oz) water
This is such a versatile syrup. It’s great used as a sweetener in recipes but it’s also lovely as a sauce drizzled on top of your favourite nice cream.
Place the dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 2 hours or until the dates are very soft. If it begins to look dry, add a little more hot water. By the end of cooking, the mixture should be thick and caramel in colour. Leave to cool and then pour through cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl. Give the dates a really good squeeze, trying to get out as much of the liquid as possible.
Pour the strained liquid into a saucepan and simmer for another 20–30 minutes or until it has the consistency of maple syrup. Once cool, store in a sealed jar, in the fridge. It will keep for up to a week.