Although sticky date pudding is a British dessert, dates are very much Israeli. Israel exports more than 42 tons of Medjool dates a year and they grow all around the country on gorgeous palm trees.
As summer was getting closer, I thought about the summer desserts I would like to create. And since nature is my biggest inspiration, I thought to myself why not create a dessert that is based on the palm tree, and another one which is based on the sun. They are both soooo summer to me.
I wanted the palm tree dessert to combine as many fruits from the palm as possible so the center cake is a sticky date pudding. The banana toffee sauce gives it a nice fruity flavor. While the coconut and banana home-made ice cream tops the warm cake perfectly. Guest of the Herbert Samuel restaurant at the Ritz Carlton Herzliya enjoy the wonderful taste of the palm fruits while looking at the palm trees near the sea. The only addition to the palm fruits is Valrhona chocolate that is combined in the ice cream for a stracciatella effect and because it balances the sweetness of the banana and dates.
This recipe is an adaptation of the dessert we make in the restaurant. Feel free to serve with store bought ice cream of your choice.
As for the sun dessert? It combines lemon, hot chili, passionfruit, saffron, and pineapple to create a sour-spicy dessert that is plated like our sun, with nice small meringues for the rays. You’ll have to come visit the restaurant to enjoy this one.
Palm Tree Dessert
Servings
Ingredients
- 400 grams medjoul dates
- 342 grams dark brown sugar
- 638 grams very hot water
- 228 grams whole eggs
- 114 grams butter/shortening melted
- 388 grams all purpose flour
- 7 grams baking powder
- 12 grams vanilla paste
- 7 grams salt
- 168 grams heavy cream or coconut milk
- 168 grams banana puree or very ripe banana
- 62 grams glucose syrup/corn syrup
- 250 grams sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉.
- In a food processor blend dates with dark brown sugar. Add very hot water. Blend until smooth. Temper with eggs by adding some hot water slowly while whisking eggs before adding to the food processor. Add melted fat. Add flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt, blend until smooth.
- Pour in to a 9.5 inch X 15.25 inch pyrex and bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and bake 8 more minutes.
- Heat the cream and banana puree to boil and set aside.
- Heat the corn syrup and add sugar a little at a time to make a dark amber caramel. Deglaze with the hot cream and banana puree liquid (carefully!) and blend with a hand blender. Cool before use.
- Serve a piece of cake with a generous serving of banana toffee sauce. Add ice cream if desired.
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