RECIPE: Cookie Dough Dates

When I was little a choc ice was the ULTIMATE in ice creamy treats, my sister & I LOVED them. There was also an ongoing discussion over the exact way one had to eat them – were you an ‘All-In-One Muncher’ or a ‘Nibble Off The Chocolate Firster’ please email me your responses or comment below as 20 years later we still disagree on this point.
Now I must admit I haven’t had a choc ice in an exceptionally long time but that doesn’t mean they don’t still hold a fond place in my heart, & it’s those ongoing amorous feelings that have inspired today’s recipe.
By turning to fibre rich dates for the ‘envelope’ element for the ice cream filling you not only get a burst of divinely delicious flavour but a whole host of nutritional wonder too, & the small smattering of bitter chocolate perfectly compliments those creamy, dreamy, sticky elements.
I think these make for the perfect, light after dinner morsel, or dip-intoable snack when you feel the need for something a little sweet. The fact that they take mere moments to make only adding to the joy that they undoubtedly bring by the bucket load!
- 8-10 large soft dates (I used Dayri dates but you could use deglet noor, Halwai or Medjool)
- Oppo Bros Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- 75g dark chocolate
- Use the point of a small sharp knife to score down the length of your dates so you can pop the stones out, then gently open them up like a book.
- Take a teaspoon to scoop small nuggets of ice cream & add 1 to each date, curling the edges back around to form a sandwich. Pop into the freezer to harden for at least 30 minutes.
- Break your chocolate into pieces, add to a glass bowl & place over a small pan of simmering water to gently melt.
- Take your dates out of the freezer & arrange on a plate, use a teaspoon or fork to drizzle the melted chocolate over them (or just dip them halfway in if you prefer!).
- Return to the freezer for at least another 30 minutes so the chocolate can set then dip in & enjoy whenever you fancy. Once hardened you can pop them in a bag & they’ll keep for up to 3 months.