Imqaret

Crisp diamond pastries filled with spiced dates.

• Serves: 20-24 pieces
• Preparation: 35 min
• Cooking: 20 min

Ingredients

Pastry

• 400g plain flour
• 75g semolina
• 75g butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 150-180ml water
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Date filling

• 500g pitted dates, chopped
• 120ml water
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp aniseed or ground anise
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water (optional)

Method

1. Soak the chopped dates, then cook them gently with orange zest, orange-flower water and spices until they form a thick paste; cool completely.
2. Rub the butter into the flour, add the remaining dough ingredients and enough water for a soft dough; chill it.
3. Roll into long strips, place a line of date filling down one side and fold the pastry over to seal.
4. Cut diagonally into diamonds.
5. Fry at about 170°C until crisp on both sides, or bake at 180°C until golden.

Image credit: Simon Cutajar via Wikimedia Commons (resized for web)

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Homemade_Imqaret.jpg

Image licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/