Decadent Saffron-Rose Dates
Everything about these delicious baked beauties scream self-love, nourishment, and deep-seated support. Enjoy them with a mug of tea or your favorite plant-based milk to build healthy Ojas and seal the deal. The homemade pumpkin seed butter is something you must make, even if you eat it straight out of the jar. [Photo by Rauf Alvi on Unsplash]
Ingredients
- 2 pinches saffron
- ¾ teaspoon rose, anise, cinnamon, or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom optional
- 12 Medjool dates unpitted
- 2 Tablespoons ghee OR coconut oil, melted
- ⅛ teaspoon flakey mineral-rich salt
- 2 Tablespoons raw pumpkin seed butter OR tahini
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon rose powder
Instructions
- Put one of the oven racks on its highest placement and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the saffron, rose extract, and optional cinnamon. Let the saffron steep for 2 minutes.
- Melt the ghee or coconut oil and pour into a small bowl. Stir in the saffron mixture.
- Put the dates in a medium sized bowl. Pour the ghee mixture over the dates and toss so that every date is coated.
- Arrange the dates in a single layer in an ovenproof baking dish, such as a cast iron skillet.
- Sprinkle the dates with salt and put them in the oven on the highest rack possible.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then raise the heat to broil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tops of the dates turn brown and plump.
- Remove from the oven and give the dates another quick toss. Let the dates cool for 15 minutes or until they feel warm enough to handle.
- Slice one side of each date, opening it like a book to remove the pit, and stuff with ½ teaspoon raw pumpkin seed butter and arrange on a plate.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rose powder. Serve immediately.
Notes
Ayurveda Every Day Tip: Although these dates taste best served warm, it’s OK to save some for later. Store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and bring them to room temperature before eating. They also travel extremely well.
For a treasure trove of vegan Ayurvedic recipes, grab a copy of Talya’s best-selling cookbook, The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen.
===
How To Read The Dosha Of This Recipe
• “V” stands for Vata – made from the elements air & ether
• “P” stands for Pitta – made from the elements fire & water
• “K” stands for Kapha – made from the elements earth & water
• The “-“ symbol after V, P or K means that the recipe helps calm or decrease the dosha it follows.
• The “+” symbol after V, P or K means that the recipe aggravates or increases the dosha it follows.
• The “=” symbol after V, P or K means that the recipe has a balancing or neutral effect on the dosha it follows. It neither increases nor decreases the dosha it follows.