Tiger nut balls
Here, we take a step back in time and recreate some historical recipes for you to try at home
As your average ancient Egyptian seems to have had a very sweet tooth and often added dates and honey to desserts, I like to think that this is a sweet that would have been made thousands of years ago.
This recipe is very straightforward, requires no cooking and is a lot fun to make (ideal for younger members of the household who might want to help).
Ingredients
• 200g fresh dates (I used dried, which worked really well)• 1 tsp cold water
• 10–15 walnut halves
• ¼ tsp of cinnamon
• small jar of runny honey
• 75g ground almonds
Method
Chop the dates finely (use seedless, or make sure to remove the stones first) and put them into a bowl. Add the water and stir. Then mix in the chopped walnuts and the cinnamon.Shape the mixture into small balls with your hands. Dip the balls in honey (I warmed it first so the honey coating wouldn’t be quite so thick) then roll the balls in the ground almonds.
Chill them in the fridge for half an hour before serving.
BBC history Magazine team verdict:
“Like historic energy balls.”
“I think Tiger nut balls roar with flavour.”
“They’re as indulgent as a chocolate truffle!”
Difficulty: 1/10
Time: 45 mins
Recipe courtesy of Cook it!
This article was first published in the January 2015 issue of BBC History Magazine.
My late mother-in-law made something very similar to this and instead of adding water, she added a touch of bourbon. She also added different things when she made them.... sometimes some coconut, sometimes pecans instead of walnuts. They were always a special treat at tea... you bring back some wonderful memories for me!
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