My favorite season of the year is Fall/Autumn. I look forward to wearing cozy sweaters, sitting around a fire outside and taking walks in nature to appreciate the changing leaves and brisk, cool weather. I also look forward to using all the amazing produce from the Fall harvest: pumpkins, squash, nuts, seeds, apples, warm spices. Oh, the things that can be cooked and baked and how wonderful the house smells with cinnamon and nutmeg in the air…
Bursting my pumpkin spice bubble is the fact that here we are in September and unfortunately it hasn’t felt like Fall here lately at all. It’s been hot, humid and dry – a somewhat expected phenomenon in the Summer, but not so much in September. Regardless, I am hopeful that the more expected weather will come as predicted later in the week and that’s why I’m forging ahead with my latest baking project for Pumpkin Yoghurt Bread using Mountain High Yoghurt, which is gelatin-free and halal-certified.
If you’re wondering why it’s important for something like yogurt to get a halal-certification, you can read more about that here in my recent blog post where I explained that and it’s the reason for working closely with them to utilize these products in my cooking, baking and everyday consumption.
In addition to the main ingredient, Mountain High’s Whole Milk Yoghurt (if you prefer fat-free they also have that variety) which helps makes this bread moist, there is also an addition of easy-to-find healthy, wholesome ingredients that go into it:
Raw cane sugar, baking powder, spices, orange peel…
Raw organic almonds (the taste and smell is way different than the conventional), walnuts, pumpkin seeds…
Bread flour, hazelnut, walnut OR grape seed oil, pumpkin puree and organic free-range eggs…
The instructions to make it are super easy but should be followed carefully as baking is different from cooking in that it follows a more technical and scientific approach to testing to achieve the right taste and bake time for the desired outcome.
I use two bowls- one larger and one smaller. This may seem like an insignificant detail but it matters so much. I’ve been making this type of bread for many years and if you flip flop this step (by not adding dry ingredients TO the wet ingredients), for some reason it just doesn’t turn out the same.
I start out with the wet ingredients in a large bowl since we’ll be adding the dry ingredients To this one. I start out first by whisking together eggs, the Mountain High Yoghurt, pumpkin puree and the oil.
All of the dry ingredients go into the smaller bowl (which is more of a medium-size bowl) and includes the spices and the nuts which should be roughly chopped.
Yes, you can do all of this in a stand mixer, but it’s way easier in bowls, in my opinion. You do need a strong whisk to do this, however, since the dough can get a little heavy.
Smells like Fall once you get to this step! Next is the preparation of a bread loaf pan. It should be thoroughly greased with butter and flour so that the bread can slide out nicely after it’s baked.
If you want a more buttery top you can melt a little butter or ghee on top and pour it over before it’s baked.
When it comes out, it smells fantastic and if you let it cool for about 20 minutes it’ll be easier to slice or get out of the pan as a whole.
What I love about this bread is that it’s a real health food, especially for breakfast or snacks. There is no need to look further than your own kitchen- your pantry and your fridge – for the ingredients to put this together yourself, rather than a random coffee house that sells expensive, who-knows-what’s-in-them types of breakfast foods. It’s dense, it’s packed with great ingredients, it’s moist because of the Mountain High Yoghurt addition and the pumpkin puree, all a great combination for creating something you’ll be making over and over again.
When I went to Sicily in 1993, it was the first time I really ever experienced fruit as the main ingredient- and sometimes the only ingredient- in a dessert. At first I was waiting around for the real dessert to please show up and perhaps this was just one of many courses at the end of the main lunch time meal? Alas, except for the occasional all-natural gelato that was acquired during a passiagata in the main square, no deep-dark chocolate cake or cheesecake or pound cake or ice cream cake of any sort was going to show up.
That changed the way I ate forever. It also began to change the way I thought about the notion of artificial sweetness, processed foods and how not to hide from real food.
That said, all these years later I’ve come to love to have fresh berries and stone fruits combined with all-natural honey and nuts as part of a more luxurious dessert.
Recently I was watching a travel show where the host visited North Africa – Morocco and Tunisia, in particular. I was so focused on the food that I honestly can’t remember now which host or name of the show it was, but I’ll try to look that up some time because it was a good one.
Anyway, in the show they featured a little humble restaurant that served what looked like the most amazing and beautiful and fresh seafood I’ve seen since I’ve been to Sicily. After the meal, they served this dish of pine nuts, honey and strawberries as a dessert.
It reminded me so much of the food in Sicily and the way I learned to enjoy dessert in a healthier, all-natural way when I was there that I immediately decided to try this combo myself. You don’t really need much of a ‘recipe’ other than having the best quality ingredients and putting them together, to taste. If you like it sweeter, add more honey; if not, add less.
I love this for suhoor, for iftar and/or for dessert any day of the year. If you prepare it and let it stand for about an hour at room temperature or a little longer in the refrigerator, you’ll notice the water come out of the strawberries and make the dish a little less thick, but it’s still quite enjoyable.
Alternate: you can make another version with almonds or walnut:
One of the most wonderful things I see on Iftar tables is an abundance of fruit. I respect the person who spends a lot of time chopping up a ton of fruit for their guests, but it can be a lot of work, and sadly it’s usually the platter that has the most left over at parties.
Let’s change that by making a few changes- first of all, don’t cut everything. You can cut a few things that are harder to eat uncut (i.e bananas, melons, even cucumbers though not a fruit go well on these platters), but leave the rest uncut even leaving some fruits like peaches and apricots whole so that people can take them on the go as they leave out the door for taraweeh prayers.
I like the platter serving style because it’s pretty and colorful and easy to arrange. I use fresh seasonal fruits, of course, so that depends where you are and in what season you’re making the platter. I like to place a bowl of yogurt in the middle with a drizzle of honey so guests can simply dip the fruit in or spoon out a bit onto their plates. It tastes so good with fruit, I don’t know why we don’t eat it this way more often.
Here’s what I put on this platter and it was delicious and well-received.
I’m working with IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America) on their upcoming Halal and Healthy workshops around the Chicagoland area where I’ll be conducting food demos on four different recipes, all super simple and all using halal-certified products.
These uber delicious Medjool dates stuffed with almonds and topped with melted chocolate and pistachios are just just one of four recipes I’ll be making and our audience tasting at each workshop.
If you can’t be at any particular workshop, you can still enjoy the flavors, the simplicity of the process and see which halal-certified products can be used to make it. Start out with simple ingredients: Godiva chocolate bar (I like anything above 70% cacao), Medjool dates, whole almonds, and pistachios to top it off.
You’ll need to make a double boiler by placing a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water. The chocolate will go into the bowl to melt instead of ‘cooking’ at the bottom which can separate the solids and even burn the chocolate.
Before starting, I suggest taking the pit out of the dates. Once the chocolate is melted, it sets rather quickly so you want to be ready to drizzle away.
Just place the almond inside in the same place where the pit was.
Get the water boiling, then turn it to low before adding the bowl where the chocolate will go.
Add the chocolate by breaking it into pieces first- it’ll melt faster and easier that way.
Chop up the pistachios as you wait a bit for the chocolate to melt (or do this ahead of time, too).
Back to the melting chocolate, I add a little milk sometimes if I can see that I may need more of the melted chocolate- this helps to extend it and makes it more milky, especially if you’re not into purely dark chocolate.
Get out all the lumps. If you’re using chocolate with almonds, you have to see beyond the lumps to know when it’s smooth enough. Just stick to a texture you prefer and like. Keep whisking until you get there.
Drizzle away.
Add the chopped pistachios on top. Serve immediately or chill and serve when you’re ready. Just cover them in the meantime.
For more information about the locations, dates and times of the workshops, please visit the IFANCA Facebook or Twitter pages. Of course I’ll be sharing on the My Halal Kitchen Facebook and Twitter pages, too. We’d love to see you in person!
As a kid I remember having popsicles from those thin and vertical ziploc-like bag almost every day of the summer. My mom used to buy them from the grocery store and many times they weren’t frozen until you put them in the freezer; instead they had some sort of colored juice or syrup in each bag. I loved the various colors and definitely had my favorites- strawberry and grape. Who knows what in the world kind of ingredients were in those things to make their shelf-life practically eternal!
I’m not really sure how I came across the brand Zipzicles® last year, but I did and was fascinated that the average consumer could now purchase those little freezer bags and make our very own and very healthy sort of ‘popsicles’ just like we had from childhood, but this time knowing exactly what’s inside of each one. Each packet of Zipzicles® comes with enough to make 12 popsicles, so that’s great. I would stock up on these for summer, especially since you can make them so easily with the recipe I’ll show you here. This isn’t the only recipe and in the comments section I’d love to hear what fruity/veggie combo you would make with these!
I start and finish with a few simple ingredients- fresh or frozen strawberries, cut watermelon, mint leaves, and vanilla flavored Monin syrup (which is halal-certified by IFANCA).
Use a food processor or blender to grind up the fruit and everything else. If you’re using frozen strawberries, make sure they go in first so that the blades can get to them first.
Next add the watermelon.
And mint.
Syrup or sugar (please not both).
Give it a whirl. It does not have to be thick. It should not be thick, otherwise it will not pour easily into the Zipzicle® bag.
Use a funnel to get the juices into the bag.
Use a scoop to pour it into the funnel if you’re using a food processor, otherwise it gets messy. Believe me.
This is so much cleaner.
Don’t fill it all the way to the top. Zipsicles has a nice little ‘fill line’ for you so that you don’t over do it. Remember, these have to freeze, which means the liquid will expand.
Be sure to label the bags ahead of time- see the first one? We didn’t label it until after the liquid went in and because it was cold and wet, the market didn’t work. The others were labeled before anything went it. Nice difference.
Stick them in the freezer and let them be frozen. Overnight is best. Then, simply enjoy it like the summer should be enjoyed! And you don’t have to be a kid to eat them!
Which flavors would you like to combine when making your own Zipzicle®?
*Note: I received a packet of Zipzicles® and the Monin syrup free of charge, without request for review or payment. All opinions expressed are my own.
I have loved dates for a very long time. I do think they’re one of the world’s best food, and completely more versatile than they’re often understood to be. They’re not just for desserts, as in the recipe I’m about to show you, but they’re wonderful in salads, great to cook with when dried (I love when they’re part of a savory rice dish), or even made into a paste for more than just baking dishes.
But you probably want a dessert recipe right about now, don’t you?
I had a complete craving for dates mixed with almonds, coconut and pistachios. Kind of convenient when you think about what a delicious combination that can be- and I have a seriously easy recipe for you: Date Nut Balls (or Logs, which I’ll show you), which are then rolled in either coconut or ground pistachio.
To grind the pistachio simply take the meat out of the shell (or purchase pistachio meat only) and run it through a food processor. If you have a small amount, you could use a coffee/spice grinder to do this. Just be sure to do it right before making this recipe because if it’s not fresh, you can taste it.
Next for the ground coconut. This is basically coconut flakes ground even further. I find this in my international grocery markets with the nuts and dried fruits.
I put coconut flakes in the ingredients list, but I don’t actually use it here. I just wanted to show that you might find flakes this big (although typically smaller) and these can be put through the food processor or coffee/spice grinder, too, to make ground coconut. You could also use a a decoration once the dessert is finished- but that might look a little messy. Whatever floats your boat.
Next up- this recipe is really good with raw toasted almonds because they have a deeper flavor, but if all you have is regular, by all means use those instead.
Now for the star of this dessert show: Medjool dates. Ahhh….my most favorite of all the dates I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried a lot. I think it’s because they’re meaty and stuffable. But I think I’ve already told you that somewhere else on this blog. It’s repeat-worthy, I think…
I should also tell you that you can get very good organic Medjool dates that are California-grown (Bard Valley), from Natural Delights, which are halal-certified, too. They sent me a few boxes so I could make all sorts of good things with them to show you. I also like the fact that to us here in the Midwest, they’re actually our most ‘local’ date product.
So to make the dessert, you have to pit the dates. That means take the pit out. I sometimes don’t get why they say ‘pit’ the olive, or ‘pit’ the date when you’re actually removing it. Being a former English teacher, I should know that answer. If my former students are reading this, I’m sure you can and will ‘Google’ the answer…
Back to the dates.
Remove the pit by gently pulling the date apart horizontally.
Take the pit out. It almost looks like a small nut.
Obviously it’s not crunchy, so you wouldn’t miss it if you bit into it. But it might ruin your food processor or blender if you left it in, so atencion!
What I love about these dates is that they’re flexible. Repairable is probably a better word. Back to semantics again…
What I mean is that for people like me who are kind of messy when cooking, baking and preparing things, it means that if you needed to present these dates beautifully, no one would know that you worked that date a little bit because it goes back together so perfectly. Masha’Allah.
See what I mean?
Now it’s time to roll. Well, we’ll mix first then we’ll roll.
Get ready to hold on tight. It’s really going to move the food processor around a bit, especially once the mixture thickens.
I process on high for about 15-30 seconds then stop it to see where it’s at. If the almonds are all still quite big, I just keep going but pulsing it so I have control over the mixture, then blend at 5 second increments. This is how you want it to look, and it will be sticky.
Spread out the coconut on a plate. This is where you’ll roll the balls once they’re formed.
Do the same with the ground pistachio.
Now we’re ready to roll. Quite literally. Between your hands, just like you do meatballs. If you make those.
Now simply roll the ball over the ground pistachio.
And keep rolling, until you get as much of the topping on it as you like. It’ll stick.
And do the same with the coconut. In no time, you can have them all done.
Don’t they look like munchkin donuts?
Now I”ll throw you a loop- you can also make date logs if you like those, instead. They’re done exactly the same way, but just shaped differently and made according to the size you prefer.
Roll the same as you do the balls.
Now slice them into pieces so everyone can have a taste. You don’t have to do this, but I find that a whole log is just too much for most people. But maybe you know people who aren’t most people and who prefer the whole log. Again, whatever floats your boat.
And of course it’s the same withe the pistachio.
Cut them into bit size pieces and serve, or preserve until you’re ready to serve. These stay good in the fridge for about a week, covered. I just like to bring them to room temperature before serving.
And I have to admit that I like the ball shape better. Actually, I like the fact that they’re less work- no cutting involved, and you can make them small, medium or large.
Sweet, isn’t it?
Would you take these to a Ramadan Iftar party or serve them to guests at your own?
Bursting my pumpkin spice bubble is the fact that here we are in September and unfortunately it hasn’t felt like Fall here lately at all. It’s been hot, humid and dry – a somewhat expected phenomenon in the Summer, but not so much in September. Regardless, I am hopeful that the more expected weather will come as predicted later in the week and that’s why I’m forging ahead with my latest baking project for Pumpkin Yoghurt Bread using Mountain High Yoghurt, which is gelatin-free and halal-certified. 
