Imqaret Recipes

IMQARET - THE DATE SLICE RECIPE THAT EVERYONE IN MALTA LOVES

Steps:

• Sift the soy flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder and Xanthan Gum in a mixing bowl. Add coconut sugar
• Make a small well in the middle and add in the olive oil, sunflower seed butter, yogurt and flax egg. Mix ingredients together
• Rub into the flour until you the mix looks like sticky breadcrumbs
• Add orange blossom water and mix in a teaspoon of water at a time until a dough forms
• Refrigerate while you prepare the filling
• Add all the filling ingredients to a saucepan and simmer for around 15 minutes
• Keep stirring the mixture and mashing the dates until you achieve the consistency of a mushy paste
• This pastry is a bit more fragile than the store-bought type, so it's best to divide into 4, making it easier for you to roll and handle
• While your date paste cools, roll out the pastry to 4 long rectangles of a 2-3mm thickness
• Place the date filling along half of the pastry rectangles
• Wet the edges and fold the dough over to enclose the date filling into a parcel
• From each rectangle, cut out 6 slices diagonally and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper
• Bake at 185°C for around 20 minutes until golden brown

IMQARET ( MALTESE DEEP FRIED DATE PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Soften the dates in a sauce pan with 3 tbsp tangerine juice and 2 tbsp water ( about 5 minutes).
• Stir in the other ingredients, cool.
• Pastry: rub the oil in the flour and bring it with enough water to form a dough. Rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Cut in half and shape each piece into a rectangular shape. Spread the filling along the middle of the rectangle then fold the two sides and seal.
• Cut into squares and deep fry or brush generously in oil and bake in a preheated oven at 200C for about 20 minutes.
• Eat while hot.