Tahini-stuffed dates with a chocolate and cardamom sauce

Preparation time                            Cooking time                                Serves

   less than 30 mins                           less than 10 mins                         Makes 10

Dates are a classic part of any Iftar meal, but this recipe elevates the simple date by stuffing them with nutty tahini and dipping them in chocolate. These are fantastic with coffee after dinner, too.

Ingredients

1½ tbsp light tahini

10 medjool dates, pitted

100g/3½oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces

½ tsp ground cardamom

2 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts

Method

1. Spoon a small amount of the tahini into the middle of each date. Place on a baking sheet or freezer-proof board and chill in the freezer until the tahini is firm and set.
2. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Stir the ground cardamom into the melted chocolate.
3. Transfer the dates to serving plates and pour over the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts and serve immediately.