Date Paste in Toronto?

December 29, 2005 11:02 AM

I have a recipe that calls for Date Paste. However, I can't find date paste. So, do you know anywhere in Toronto I can buy it or do you have a recipe for it? Or if you have some around your house, can you check the ingredients? Anything besides dates in it?

I searched and found a few recipes for date paste but they're quite different (some have sugar, some do not, some have corn syrup) and since I've never made anything with it before I'm not quite sure which to use and don't have time to experiment.

For reference, here's what else is in the recipe:

cashews
coconut meat
carrot juice
agave nectar
coconut butter
vanilla extract
cinnamon
ginger
nutmeg
cloves
sea salt

Thanks!

posted by dobbs to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

You should be able to find it in a middle eastern store (there are a few up at Yonge and Finch I think.
Here's a recipe that should work, but I've never tried it.
posted by nprigoda at 11:20 AM on December 29, 2005

What are you making? Date paste can have baking soda in it, which could throw off your recipe if it's a cake. Based on the ingredient list, I'm guessing a vegan baked good of some kind? In that case, you'd also want one that doesn't have butter in it.
posted by bcwinters at 11:37 AM on December 29, 2005

The date paste I have has just dates in it. I bought it in a Turkish supermarket.
posted by davar at 11:53 AM on December 29, 2005

ah, makroud!

my friend, use your infidel blender (or food processor) to whip up a paste with pitted dates cut in half, fresh orange zest, and orange-flower water.

there's your date paste.

As-salamu ‘alai-kum, brother dobbs.
posted by matteo at 12:38 PM on December 29, 2005 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers.

Yonge and Finch is too far for today but I'll keep that in mind, nprigoda.

bcwinters, I am making a raw "pumpkin" tart.

Alaikum salam, matteo. The orange may interfere but it sounds good.

I'm gonna process some dates with a tiny bit of water and see what I come up with.
posted by dobbs at 1:47 PM on December 29, 2005