Ratab, dark chocolate & walnuts cookies.
“People in a house without dates are in a state of hunger.”Prophet mohammed
Summer is here again and it’s time to celebrate ratab season in the GCC.
If you don’t know what ratab are, they are fresh dates…yellow bouquets of pearls that hang from palm trees across the UAE . In fact it’s one of the few fruits that survive growth during the unbearable summer heat.
It’s really common to see a bowl of ratab next to a dalah (an Arabic teapot) in almost every house in the UAE, as a gesture of hospitality. Not only that, but people enjoy afternoon coffee or tea with a bowl of freshly picked dates.
They are moist, chewy, delicate and less sweeter (almost caramel like) with a hint of saltiness. We rarely make dessert out of fresh dates, but I couldn’t think of anything better than cookies, which would compliment Arabic coffee.
The addition of dark chocolate to break the sweetness of the dates with the added bitterness and some crunchy walnuts for nutty flavour.
I’ve updated the recipe by placing the cookie doughs in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking. This will give the cookies a more chewy and fudgy texture, with an additional rise along with a crunchy exterior.
Nevertheless, if you prefer old school cookies, then skip the chilling before baking. Most importantly make sure to use a good quality of chocolate.
yields : 12 cookies
1 cup (125g) all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
1\4 teaspoon of cardamom
½ tsp sea salt
1 cup (90g) rolled oats (not instant)
125g soft unsalted butter
1/2 cup (110g) dark brown sugar or brown
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste (good quality)
1/2 cup (75g) ratab ( sliced)
1/2 cup (50g) walnuts , toasted and roughly chopped
(200g) dark chocolate chopped from a bar (I used valrohna)
method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350°F/gas mark 4.
Measure out the flour, baking powder, salt and rolled oats, cardamom into a bowl.
Put the butter and sugars in a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat together on medium speed until creamy then beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
add the flour mixture gradually and mix until its incorporated, then fold in the ratab, chopped walnuts and chocolate and mix until it well disturbed.
Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the cookie dough or two tablespoonful then place them on a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
If the dough is too sticky wet your hands lightly with water and roll the dough to balls using your palms
Chill for 10 minutes in fridge.
Bake for 15 minutes cookies will turn into golden color, they will be too soft but it will firm up when its cooled down.
If the cookies didn't spread out evenly use tart ring or large cookie cutter to reshape them.
notes:if you don’t have fresh dates, use medjool dates by soaking it over nigh in a fridge , dry it out then use it.
