Try this Cauldron Cakes recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 tsp almond essence
- 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground anise (you can buy star anise and grind dow
- 1/4 tsp ground fennel seed (if you can only find whole grind down yourself)
- canola oil spray
- 150-160 g of pitted dates
- 1 1/2 tsp of the spice mix
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter room temperature
- icing sugar for dusting
- a round bottom tray. you can find them on amazon u
- Carbohydrate 256.293360506455 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.05812682900946 g
- Fiber 9.40180006760411 g
- Protein 25.1914942520429 g
- Saturated Fat 0.739232634957153 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (376g)
- Sodium 10.4568557760832 mg
- Sugar 246.891560438851 g
- Trans Fat 0.969204702628422 g
- Calories 1163 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 175C/350F.
- Mix together the spice mix and place in a air tight container. You'll only be using a bit of this mix for this recipe.
- Spray the food processor with the canola oil so the dates don't stick.
- In batches, heat up the dates (in a small microwavable bowl) in the microwave for 10-15 secs to soften.
- Place in the food processor and blend, then repeat with the rest.
- By hand, mix the 1½ tsp of spice mix and ½ tsp of almond essence into the date mixture.
- Set aside.
- In a mixer, beat the butter, then add in the sugar.
- Beat for a few minutes until creamy.
- Add in the flour, then the water.
- Turn out onto a board dusted with plain flour.
- Roll out relatively thinly, and cut out circles.
- Spray your cookie tray with canola oil spray.
- Place one circle into a cookie hole.
- Take a small ball of the date mixture, and press with your fingers into a flattened circle.
- Place into the cookie tray on top of the dough.
- Place another cookie dough circle on top.
- Press the middle down, then press the edges together.
- Repeat, then place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, use the back of a large spoon to gently press the centres (to keep the indentation), then set aside to cool.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Producing spherical pastry pockets requires specialized equipment, specifically a round-bottomed baking tray that shapes the dough into a concave vessel rather than a flat disc. Without this mold, the pastry lacks the distinct silhouette necessary for the final indentation.
Managing Pastry and Fruit Textures
Achieving structural integrity relies on contrasting textures between the exterior shell and the interior fruit filling. Dates require brief 10 to 15-second intervals in the microwave to soften sufficiently without losing their structural cohesion during blending. Spraying the food processor with canola oil prevents sticky fruit sugars from adhering to the blades, ensuring uniform puréeing. Butter must reach room temperature before creaming with sugar; this incorporates air pockets that yield a tender, crumbly crust capable of encasing the dense date paste without tearing during rolling.
Judging Doneness Visually
Bake the assembled pastries in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius, equivalent to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for 15 to 20 minutes. Color serves as the primary indicator of completion rather than internal probing; monitor the perimeter for a distinct golden-brown hue. Immediately upon removal from the heat source, press the center of each pastry gently using the back of a large spoon to reinforce the characteristic hollow shape while the dough remains pliable.
