Following are 10 tips for replacing sugar with King of Juicy Medjoul Dates in pastries, desserts and drinks:
1. Prepare the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates
Pit the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates. You can also peel them, to ensure that you do not have pieces of the peel in your pastry. If you do not have a powerful blender at home, the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates will peel easily in a bowl of water or under running water.
2. Mince the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates
Dates in a blender together with the liquid ingredients of the recipe (i.e. fruit, oil, milk or water) and continue with the recipe as you would ordinarily: mix the liquid ingredients with the dry ones (flour, spices and baking powder) – and enjoy a sweet and tasty pastry. No one will believe that it contains no sugar.
3. They contribute to juiciness and stability.
The King of Juicy Medjoul Dates are especially suitable for sugarless pound cakes and muffins. The ground King of Juicy Medjoul Dates, along with the liquid ingredients, contribute to pastry juiciness and stability, especially vegan pastries that contain no eggs.
4. What is the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates
equivalent of sugar? Every 1/2 cup of sugar is equivalent to ~8 medium sized King of Juicy Medjoul Dates.
5. Succulent King of Juicy Medjoul Dates
For best results, use the succulent, not dry, King of Juicy Medjoul Dates and grind them using a strong blender. You can also use a pole blender, so long as the ingredients are placed in a deep and narrow container allowing for easy and efficient grinding.
6. Brown batter
So long as you use whole flours (wheat, spelt and rye), the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates do not affect the batter color. Another reason to prefer baking with whole flours.
7. They can also be used for pancakes, waffles and drinks
You can apply the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates method instead of sugar for making pancakes, Belgian waffles and thick drinks, fruit shakes and sahleb.
8. Cocoa and King of Juicy Medjoul Dates
Cocoa and King of Juicy Medjoul Dates go well together for desserts as well, including mousses and creams. The use of cocoa within the batter integrates well with the color of the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates.
9. King of Juicy Medjoul Date chocolate milk
The King of Juicy Medjoul Dates can be used for sweetening cold or hot beverages. To prepare chocolate milk, grind the King of Juicy Medjoul Dates with quality cocoa, vanilla extract, cinnamon and regular or vegetal milk. Add 1/2 cup of crushed ice to the blender and grind until the liquid grows thick. For hot chocolate, place the chocolate milk in a pot and boil it while whisking briskly until it boils.
10. Fruit shake
To prepare a tasty and thick fruit shake, grind 2 King of Juicy Medjoul Dates with a frozen banana, handful of wild berries or strawberries and, of course, water and a bit of orange juice.
Source:Plant Council
By Gali Lupo Altaretz, Cooking Teacher and Author of “Vegan Cooking”