Chocolate date bars with pistachio and raspberry

Telegraph

13-06-2025

This is my twist on a Palestinian ma'amoul. Made with the traditional filling of rich dates and nuts, and flavoured with hints of rose water, cardamom and anise, the bars are drizzled with dark chocolate. These are guaranteed to be popular. Little do people know the bars are vegan.
Requires cooling, chilling and setting time.
Overview
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Serves
24 bars
Ingredients
250g walnuts
60g date paste (or 60g pitted medjool dates, finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp sunflower oil)
140g vegan chocolate digestive biscuits, broken into fine crumbs (about 9 biscuits)
100g dark muscovado sugar
¾ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground anise seed (aniseed)
½ tsp mahleb (a powdered spice derived from cherry stones, available from souschef.co.uk)
2 tbsp runny honey or agave syrup
2 tbsp rose water
200g vegan dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into roughly 1cm pieces
5g freeze-dried raspberries
2 tbsp pistachios, finely crushed
Method
Step
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5, and line a baking dish with baking parchment.
Step
Place 250g walnuts in this dish and toast for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Once cool, finely chop in a food processor – be sure not to over-process.
Step
If using dates rather than the paste, put 60g pitted, finely chopped medjool dates and 1 tbsp sunflower oil into a small pan and place on a low heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to form a mushy, sticky paste. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step
Place the chopped walnuts, 140g vegan chocolate digestive biscuits, broken into fine crumbs, 100g dark muscovado sugar, ¾ tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¾ tsp ground anise seed, ½ tsp mahleb and ½ tsp salt in a medium bowl and mix well to combine.
Step
Spread the mixture on a lined oven tray, about 30 x 20cm, and press it down firmly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Step
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie base and sprinkle with 5g freeze-dried raspberries and 2 tbsp finely crushed pistachios. Leave for 1 hour to firm up before cutting into squares.