Vanilla-Date Swirl Cake

The original recipe was for an easy vanilla-flavored cake, which I've made several times before. I wondered how I could jazz it up this time, and decided to swirl in some date syrup (dibs at-tamar/silan). Although I didn't quite get the swirl I wanted, it looked pretty, and did flavor the cake nicely. 

Vanilla Ice Cream 

with Haroset 

(Date Syrup & Ground Almonds)

This was the last of some homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, topped with leftover Haroset. Different kinds of Haroset are part of the Passover Seder, to symbolize and commemorate the mortar used by the Biblical slaves in ancient Egypt.

There are many different kinds of Haroset made, depending on the family and community. Unfortunately, I don't have a specific family recipe. So, I decided to find a simple recipe that would use ingredients I already have at home.

I found several versions online of Iraqi Haroset, using Date Syrup (Dibs al-Tamar/Silan) and ground nuts. Most of these versions used walnut or pecans, but some contained pistachios, and a couple used ground almonds. I was very pleased with this version, and just like plain Date Syrup, leftovers go well with ice cream.

Vanilla-Date Swirl Ice Cream

This is really light ice cream, as I made it with whole milk and not cream. (It also contains sugar and vanilla extract, as well as date syrup). After the vanilla ice cream was in the freezer for an hour, I took it out and tried to swirl in some date syrup. It didn't work quite as I'd planned; the ice cream wasn't frozen enough. However, the taste was just what I wanted. I almost think that date syrup on ice cream is better than chocolate syrup. 

Toast topped with 

Date Syrup (Silan/Dibs al-Tamar) 

& Tahini

The toast on the left is with the toppings combined, and the toast on the right shows the two before being combined. I was inspired by Cooking for Fun's description a while ago on Instagram, of bread with tahini and date syrup, as similar to a Middle Eastern peanut-butter-and-jelly combination. (I hope I'm remembering that right!) I couldn't try it then, as I had no date syrup available. The tahini has a nutty taste here, and the date syrup makes it taste better, I think.

Cooking for Fun's helpful comments, on how best to enjoy this, were : 1) don't overmix, and 2) just add a little of the syrup, so you can enjoy the taste of both.

Cooking_for_Fun_Page Instagram, Tahini Paste & Date Syrup

Cooking for Fun Facebook 

Cooking for Fun YouTube

French Toast, 

with Silan/Dibs al-Tamar/Date Syrup

A different approach to French Toast (with store-bought bread): sweetening it with Silan/Dibs al-Tamar/Date Syrup or Molasses. (The jar label said it was called "Iraqi Date Syrup.") Now that I finally found this date syrup, I have to think of how to use it. (It's a pretty big jar.) I decided to start out with this French Toast. Good choice!