I don't remember my first date – maybe we went to the cinema? But while I may have forgotten all the details of my first attempt at romance, I have a very clear memory of trying my first weed date at the San Francisco Farmers Market, a piece of dried fruit so extraordinary that started my passion like no other teenage outing. sometimes it can.
Photography by Rick Holbrook, styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Love may not grow on trees, but dates do, on giant date palms in bunches that resemble grapes. In America, 90% of the crop is grown in California's Coachella Valley, where it first spread in the early 20th century. Of the many varieties under cultivation, medjool is the most common. They are the largest, with a soft, gooey texture and a caramelized sweetness reminiscent of maple syrup or dark brown sugar. But there are many other varieties, each with their own characteristics, such as amber-colored noors, chewier and drier than medjool, and small, round grass dates, which have a buttery flavor.
One thing most date varieties have in common: they're great for baking. Naturally high in sugar, dates add sweetness, yes, but also flavor, moisture and incredible texture. And even though they are able to contribute so much to your baked goods, they are often overlooked – but not anymore!
Photography by Kristen Teig; food styling by Liz Neily
To experience the jam that dates bring to a recipe, try our recipes Date Pinwheels or these Date squares. Both are made with date puree, created by cooking (or soaking) the fruit in water before blending it into a sticky paste that tastes almost like caramel. On pinwheels, this pastry forms a bull's-eye swirl that retains its gooey texture, contrasting beautifully with the buttery, crisp cookie. In the date squares, the mash is sandwiched between the crunchy, oat cookie-like layers, making these the bar cookies of my dreams.
John Sherman
If you want to highlight the chewing of the fruit, Date-walnut bread it's a great place to start. The quick bread calls for 2 cups of chopped dates, which are melted with brown and brown sugar in a moist loaf filled with toasted nuts. In this new recipe for Chocolate Date Cake, Test Kitchen Director Sarah Jampel chose to use soft medjool dates. Because they are so soft, they almost disappear into the dough, leaving only sticky pockets; along with the chopped melted chocolate, the dates give the cake an incredible richness.
Photography by Kristen Teig, food styling by Liz Neily
To further showcase the nuanced and layered flavor of dates, Sara pairs her cake with a salted date butter sauce made with dates, butter, and brown sugar. That sauce would also be a great alternative to the caramel sauce that accompanies the dip Sticky Coffee Pudding, a natural extension of dates sweetening the cake.
Photography by Rick Holbrook, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
When baking with dates, match form with function: Whether you want the fruit to melt into the batter or you're looking for a variety soft enough to be easily mashed, medjool dates or barhi are your best options. If you're hoping that the date will retain some of its structural integrity after it's ripe, as in this dense, seedy, fruity one Granola bread with fruit and nuts, choose a drier variety, such as deglet noor.
Beyond fruit, dates can also be incorporated into baking in other ways. Date sugar, made from ground, dehydrated dates, is thicker than white sugar and darker in color. Although some bakers claim it can be used 1:1 for brown or granulated sugar, we find its texture prohibitive. Because it doesn't melt completely, it can give some baked goods a tough quality; if you want to experiment, we recommend trying it sprinkled on muffins or quick bread before baking (or as an addition to a bowl of oatmeal).
Date syrup, called Silan in Hebrew, is one of the oldest known sweeteners, consumed in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), where the fruit grew in abundance. Made from dates and water, the sticky substance can be used as a substitute for honey or maple syrup, although it has its own distinct flavor. It's also great in the rain pancake.
The hottest dates of all aren't the ones at the pizza parlor or the ice rink; they are in your kitchen, waiting to transform all your baked goods.
Looking for more hot dates? Look class calendar at our Vermont and Washington Baking Schools.
Cover picture (Chocolate Date Cake) by Rick Holbrook, styling by Kaitlyn Wayne.
