Date nougat

 Recipe from chef patrick

Ingredients :
This date (the fruit) nougat (a kind of a candy) is a recipe of my friend Maloub who worked for numerous years for me ; I have adapted this recipe.

Recipe for 20-25 nougat pieces :
800 grams (1.8 lb) pitted/stoned dats (so 1 kilogram = 2.2 lb) plain dates before stoning them) cut into thin slices
300 grams (10 oz) peeled and roasted almonds (roasted dry in an oven or in a pan : watch carefully)
350 grams (11-12 oz) liquid honey
10 centiliters (1/10 liter = 3 fl oz) water
220 grams (1/2 lb) caster sugar
1 teaspoonfull ginger in powder
2 teaspoonfulls grounded wthite pepper
2 soupspoonfulls sesame seeds

Direction :
1/Prepare the sugar sirup with the sugar and water into a thick pan
2/After 2 minutes of boiling, pour the dates, the honey, the grilled almonds (roughly crushed and all the spices
3/Stir well with a wooden spatula then pour the mixture onto a large slightly oiled on a marble slab (or another plate)
4/When it is a little bit cooled down, roll it like a sausage and cut into 20-25 slices