419. Iraqi Date Truffles with Caraway and Fennel Seeds

There is more than one variety of date truffles, and this is the second on this blog after Iraqi Madgooga.
Packed with nutrients and fiber and minerals, the date is a modest miracle fruit. There is definitely something wrong with all those super food lists that leave out the date fruit.
For a subtle hint of flavor, I chose coconut oil to warm up the dates.
Ghee is more traditionally used, or more recently butter. I just happened to like the flavor the coconut oil lends to the date balls. I also used whole caraway and fennel seeds which are also lightly toasted in the coconut oil to release their aroma, and in addition they also lend texture to the truffle balls.

Ingredients:

4 cups pitted packed dates
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or ghee or butter)
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds

Method:

In a pot over medium-high heat, saute the coconut oil (or ghee or butter) with the caraway and fennel seeds until just fragrant.
Add the pitted dates all in one go, and stir while mashing the date until it is reduced to a thick paste.
Once homogenous, remove from heat and set aside to get cool enough to handle.
Once cooled, take walnut-sized pinches and roll between your palms into bite-sized balls.
Allow to cool completely (they will harden as they cool) before serving.

 صحة و عافية