Date Filled Pastries Imqaret
Imqaret, is the plural of a word derived from the Arabic word Makrout مقروض is the plural of maqrut, is a traditional Maghrebians and Maltese dessert.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz flour
- 3½ oz butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp aniseed
For the filling
- 1⅔ cups dates
- 5 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp aniseed
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 orange rind
Instructions
For the dough
- Sift the flour and baking soda, in a bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour until mixture turns into breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix well.
- Bind the mixture with the water. Leave the pastry to rest for 30 minutes.
For the filling
- Add all the ingredients for the filling in a saucepan and stir over low heat. Simmer until it becomes thick.
- Remove from heat and leave the mixture to cool.
For assembly
- Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 10cm wide strip.
- Put the filling along the middle of the strip of pastry. Moisten the edges with some water.
- Fold the pastry over the date filling and press the edges tightly together.
- With a sharp knife, cut diagonally across the pastry to form diamond shaped 5 cm long imqaret.
- Deep fry them in boiling oil until they turn golden brown. Drain and serve hot or cold as you prefer.