DATES IN A BLANKET

I had some left over baking dates from last time I made mammoul- the Middle Eastern holiday cookies. It’s time to use it, so I’m making some delicious date filled crescents- dates in blanket as my children call them. I’m making dough from scratch, but one can surely use store bought puff pastry, sugar cookie dough, or even biscuit dough, the fluffy one.

Dates In A Blanket

DATES IN A BLANKET (24 crescents)

Filling Ingredients:

1 13 oz. pack of baking dates

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

In a small bowl knead together dates, cinnamon, and olive oil into a smooth mass.

Divide into 24 equally large pieces, roll into a cigar shape, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Dough Ingredients:

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup milk

2 tsp yeast

1 egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

3 cups all-purpose flour + ½ cup

Directions:

Melt butter in a pan. Pour milk over the melted butter and let it warm until ≈98*F warm. Pour the mixture into a big bowl and add yeast. Stir and let it rest covered for 5 minutes, so that the yeast starts reacting. Add the egg, stir, and start adding flour until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until double in size, approximately 30 – 45 minutes.

Divide the dough into three equal parts. Roll each dough ball into a 0.2 inch thick circle and divide it into 8 triangles.

Place a date cigar on the wide side of the triangle and roll it into a crescent.

Arrange the crescent on a greased baking sheet, cover with towel, and let yeast to double size, approximately 30 minutes at a room temperature.

Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with black nigella seeds.

Bake on the middle rack for 8 minutes in a 425*F preheated oven until golden brown and puffy. Let the crescents cool, down, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with tea or coffee.

                                                 Bone Appetite!