date “granola”

I discovered this softly crumbly sweet in the United Arab Emirates. It is one of their classic confections, normally served for breakfast with such other typical breakfast dishes as balalit, a sweet-savory noodle dish, and l’geimat, saffron-scented fritters (see page 40). I have had bathith served as a crumbly mixture in a bowl, to be eaten with fingers or a spoon, and I have had it pressed into shapes in ma’mul molds (see page 56), which made for a prettier presentation. Even though bathith is not at all like granola (it has a softer texture), I like to think of it as the Arabian version, in which whole-wheat flour replaces oats and dates replace raisins; it looks and tastes just as wholesome as granola. The Deglet Noor variety of dates works well.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in A Taste of the Arabian Gulf, a lovely book on Gulf cooking written by Afnan Rashid al-Zayani.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS [500 G]

1¹/₂ cups [225 g] whole-wheat flour

1 tsp ground cardamom, plus more for sprinkling

¹/₂ tsp ground ginger

1¹/₂ cups [225 g] pitted soft dates, coarsely chopped

¹/₄ cup [55 g] ghee (see page 14) or unsalted butter, melted

¹/₂ cup [60 g] walnuts, blanched almonds, or a mixture, toasted (see page 25) and coarsely chopped

In a large skillet, toast the flour over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it releases a nutty aroma and darkens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Take care not to burn the flour or it will taste bitter. Transfer the flour to a large mixing bowl. Add the 1 tsp cardamom and the ginger and mix well.

Add the dates and ghee and stir until you have a crumbly mixture. Stir in the nuts and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with a little ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container, in a cool place (not the refrigerator), for up to 2 weeks.

Variation: You can make bathith less spicy by omitting the ground ginger, or for a different, though unorthodox, flavor, you can use cinnamon and allspice instead of cardamom and ginger. If you want to mold it, reduce the amount of flour by ³/₄ cup [115 g]; pinch off small amounts of bathith, roll into balls, and gently press inside the mold. Tap out the molded bathith and place on a serving platter. You can make it sweeter by drizzling with date syrup just before serving.