1. food and drink
2. desserts and baking

Medjool Date Paste
Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients
2 cups Natural Delights Medjool Dates, coarsely
chopped
1/2 cup very hot water
Preparation Instructions
Place dates and water in a food processor. Process
until fairly smooth to make a coarse paste, or process
longer to make a creamy paste, scraping down sides as
necessary.
Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1
month. Makes about 1 3/4 cups.
Serve immediately.
Medjool dates are a healthy, delicious and all
natural sugar substitute in most any recipe:
• Cakes
• Brownies
• Salad Dressings
• Pies
• Cobblers and
Crisps
• Marinades
• Muffins
• Sweet Breads
• Cookies
• Energy Bars
• Glazes
• Smoothies
Did you know that Medjool dates were first harvested
around 6,000 B.C. – making the date the oldest
cultivated fruit in the world?
Connect with us on:
For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com
Blogger Spotlight: Chocolate & Carrots
Caroline Edwards is a wife, new mom, food blogger, recipe developer and
photographer behind Chocolate & Carrots. There she focuses on healthier
baking alternatives and family-friendly recipes. She uses Medjool dates as
natural sweeteners in her recipes, and loves that they are packed full of
nutrients for her family.
Visit www.chocolateandcarrots.com/ for more information.
Healthy Dessert Dip
Makes a 1 cup Serving
Ingredients
1/2 cashew butter, homemade or store bought
1/2 cup date paste
1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
Preparation Instructions
Blend the ingredients together and serve with your
favorite fruits and snacks!
“As a fairly recent Medjool dates lover, I do believe I’ve
only touched the surface of what can be accomplished
with dates. While I was in Yuma visiting the date gardens,
we talked a lot about date paste and the wonderful things you
can do with it. It’s now become a staple in my refrigerator and
I try to substitute as much refined sugar as I can with it! It’s
an amazing clean-eating sweetener.
Some ways I’ve used it so far:
•Sweetener in smoothies
•Spread on toast with peanut butter
•Mixed with oatmeal
•Used in baked goods
This Healthy Dessert Dip tastes like Nutella, but is made with
all natural, healthy ingredients. I’ve been known to sneak
spoonfuls of it in between meals – it’s so yummy.”
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For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com
Blogger Spotlight: A Life...
Including Cake!
Jo lives in England and is the health conscious plant-based foodie and
recipe developer behind the holistic health website Including Cake.
What first began as an extension of her creative lifestyle, became all
encompassing after completing a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition,
followed by a desire to empower others with diplomas in both Holistic
Health Coaching and Personal Performance Coaching currently
ongoing. “Where health and indulgence collide” is her mantra and you
can visit her to share the love on www.includingcake.com
Granola-cookie Breakfast Clusters
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
1/4 cup each: gluten free cereal flakes, buckwheat
groats, coconut curls, goji berries (for a sweeter fruit,
try cranberries or pomegranate arils instead)
1/4 cup date paste
1 tsp of cocoa, spices (to taste) and maca powder
(optional)
Cooking Instructions
Make sure the date paste is fairly sticky and not firm
(add a drizzle of syrup if needed). Lightly mix in the
spices and then mix through the remaining ingredients
to combine into chunky balls, they should hold together
well.
Refrigerate to firm and store, consume within 2-3 days.
Notes: you could use other mix-ins such
as quinoa flakes, puffed rice, chia, flax,
superfood powders (e.g acai, maca), dried fruits,
chopped seeds or nuts. Keep all the pieces fairly small so that
they bind together without falling apart.
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For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com
Spiced Medjool Date & Walnut Brownies
Serves 16
Ingredients
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups Medjool Date paste
2 eggs
4 egg whites, about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in walnuts and set aside. In a
food processor, combine eggs, egg whites, oil and vanilla. Purée until combined and smooth. Stir in date paste until
mixed completely.
Gradually mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, until just combined; do not over-mix. (Mixture will be very
thick.)
Lightly spray sides of 8 x 8-inch (20 cm) baking pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and place into oven.
Bake for about 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove pan from oven and allow brownies to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Loosen brownie and turn slab out onto a cutting board or platter. Cut into 16 pieces, wrap with plastic wrap and
refrigerate overnight.
Leftovers may be kept refrigerated in a re-sealable container for up to 2 days.
Serve immediately.
1 cup of date paste = 1 cup of white or brown sugar
Connect with us on:
For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com
Blogger Spotlight: Golubka Kitchen
Anya Kassoff, creator of Golubka Blog, loves experimenting in
the kitchen and making dishes that are not only delicious, but also
nutritious. She truly believes that the healthiest meals are the best
tasting meals when approached correctly. Anya’s first cookbook,
The Vibrant Table, will be available on June 10th, 2014.
Learn more about it here.
Rosemary Plum Crumble
Serves 9
Ingredients
CRISP:
1 cup pecans or walnuts – it’s always better to soak and
dehydrate nuts, as it makes them easier to digest
1/2 cup sprouted oat flour (see recipe below)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup vanilla date paste
zest of 1 lemon
2 or more tablespoons fresh rosemary – chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
PLUMS:
16 ripe medium plums
1/2 cup vanilla date paste
Cooking Instructions
In a food processor, blend the pecans or walnuts until fine. Take care not to over-process the nuts, as they will turn
into nut butter. In a mixing bowl, combine the nuts with the rest of the crisp ingredients, mix thoroughly. Spread on
Teflex lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115F for 24 hours. Break apart to make a crisp.
Cut a cross on the top of each plum and place them into a colander. Pour some boiling water over them, then quickly
transfer the plums into ice water. Peel the skins, which should come off easily after the blanching. Slice the plums
and mix them with the vanilla date paste. Spread the plums on Teflex lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 115F
for approximately four hours. In a food processor, puree half of the dehydrated plums.
To serve, put the plum slices and plum puree into a bowl, top with the crisp. You can warm up the crumble in a
dehydrator or serve cold.
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For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com
Medjool Date Pudding Cake with
Caramel Sauce
Serves 8
Ingredients
Butter and powdered cocoa, to prepare pan
2/3 cup Medjool date paste
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups self-rising flour, sifted
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE:
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F (180C). To prepare baking pan, brush the inside of a Bundt pan thoroughly with melted
butter. Liberally sprinkle powdered cocoa over butter, then turn upside-down and tap to remove excess cocoa.
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Using a large metal spoon, thoroughly mix in date paste, baking soda and flour until well combined. Batter will be thin.
Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out
clean. Allow to stand for about one minute, then carefully turn onto a plate.
To make the caramel sauce, set a saucepan over medium heat and add sugar, cream, vanilla and butter. Cook, stirring
often, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 more minutes.
While cake is still warm, use a wooden skewer to make holes all over the top of the cake. Pour half of the warm
sauce over the warm cake. Garnish with glace cherries, if desired.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and serve with remaining sauce.
Serve immediately.
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For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com
Medjool Date Syrup
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
6 cups water
4 cups Natural Delights Medjool Dates
Cooking Instructions
Bring water and dates to a boil in a large pot;
reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring
occasionally and pressing dates with the back of a
spoon.
Line a large colander with a double layer of cheesecloth
leaving about 6 inches overlap at the top. Place over
a bowl that’s slightly smaller so the bottom of the
colander sits above the bowl.
Carefully ladle or pour dates and liquid into colander.
Press well with the back of a spoon to force liquid into the bowl. Fold over cheesecloth and place a very heavy pot or
bowl directly on the dates; set aside for 1 hour to drain.
When cool enough to handle gather excess cheesecloth at the top and twist tightly to enclose dates; squeeze dates
firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
Pour liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 to 40
minutes or until mixture has reduced to just slightly over 1 cup, stirring frequently. As mixture reduces, lower heat
and stir frequently to avoid scorching. Syrup will thicken as it cools. Makes about 1 cup.
Serve immediately.
5 Creative Ways to Use Date Syrup Everyday
• As Coffee or tea sweetner
• In smoothies
• As a spread on toast or in a sandwich
• As a natural sweetner in baking recipes
• To sweeten oatmeal or other hot cereals
Connect with us on:
For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com
Blogger Spotlight: Bake With Dates
Bake with Dates, available on amazon.com, contains seventy-five delicious
sugar free recipes. All recipes are free of animal products (butter, eggs
and milk) normally found in baked goods. These recipes use fresh Medjool
Dates, whole grains, nuts and other natural ingredients to produce healthy,
nutritious food your whole family will enjoy.
Visit www.bakewithdates.blogspot.com for more information.
Peach Crisp
Ingredients
FILLING:
3 15-oz cans juice packed peaches, drained
1/2 cup date syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
TOPPING:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup date syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cooking Instructions
Spray 8” square pan with cooking spray.
Combine 1/2 cup date syrup and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl
and mix well.
Pour fruit into prepared pan. Spoon in date mixture and stir to combine.
To make topping, combine rolled oats, almond meal, walnuts, 1/2 cup date syrup, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and vanilla
together in small bowl. Spread topping over peaches.
Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
Serve warm.
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For coupons and recipes, visit www.NaturalDelights.com