BATHITH
ARABIAN GULF
Gulf Arabs don’t have a huge range of sweets. Mostly halvas, fritters, and puddings, with many either made with dates or served with date syrup. It is not surprising really as their cuisine has for a long time been more about survival, given the harsh desert living conditions before the discovery of oil made them wealthy. This halva, which is a typical Arabian Gulf sweet, combines both dates and nuts. It can be made crumbly to serve as a kind of granola, or it can be made soft so that it can be molded in the same ma’mul molds used for the Ramadan Nut-Filled Cookies. Both versions are delightful, although the presentation of the latter is more elegant.
SERVES 4 TO 6
1¼ cups (150 g) white whole wheat flour
2½ cups (375 g) pitted dates
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter
¼ cup (60 ml) rose water
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup (30 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup (30 g) blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
1. Put the flour in a large skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly colored, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Put the dates in a large pot and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they start to mash up. Add the toasted flour and mix well. Stir in the butter, then the rose water and spices. Mix well, then stir in the nuts until well blended. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: If you are going to mold the halva, you need to use ½ cup (60 g) less flour and add 2 extra tablespoons (30 g) butter and 1 extra tablespoon rose water. Mix well. Then pinch off enough to make a ball the size of a walnut. Press the ball of date halva into the ma’mul mold following the directions in the Ramadan Nut-Filled Cookies. Serve at room temperature.