Rangeenak
Sweet Paste Halva

From: "Dawn Starbird" >
I would love any Persian/Iranian recipes. I'm especially interested in
desserts or snacks, but any other recipes would be welcome as well.

Rangeenak

(By Mrs. Soheila Amiri)

1 pound of fresh dates (those huge California dates taste %100 better).
1 cup of white powdered sugar.
1 can of shelled walnuts.
1 cup of cinnamon.
1 cup of sesame seeds.

Roast the sesame seeds over the oven for a minute or so and set aside.
Open
the dates from one side only and stuff them with the walnuts. Make the cut
as small as possible so that the date doesn't break in half. Put half of a
walnut per date. As you stuff the dates, place them in a flat oven dish in
a
round fashion (pick a nice dish, since it'll be served in the same one).

When one layer of dates is completed, sprinkle them freely with sesame
seeds, powdered sugar and cinnamon (in that order). Start another layer,
sprinkle them in the same fashion until you run out of ingredients. Make
the
circles smaller as you work your way to the top. It makes it easier for
people to pick and eat them, when the faithful moment arrives.

At last, place the dish in the oven (set at bake setting, say at 250
degrees) for a few minutes. The object is to just get them warmed up so
that
the ingredients stick to each other better. Take it out and serve it warm
or
cold.


Sweet Paste Halva

(By Mrs. Soheila Amiri)
(2? servings)

1 cup (8 oz.) of cooking oil.
1 cup (8 oz.) of all purpose white flour.
1 cup (8 oz.) of granulated sugar.
1/2 cup (4 oz.) of rose water (golAb).
1 tablespoon of sugar powder (or granulated sugar).
1 tablespoon of cinnamon (dArcheen).

In a medium size pot, heat up the cooking oil and slowly pour the flour
while stirring and continue to stir until the mixture has a smooth texture
and a golden brown color.
In a small pot, over medium-high heat, mix the rose water and sugar,
constantly stir, and let it cook for a few minutes, until all the sugar
dissolves. Pour the rose-water and sugar mixture over the flour paste, mix
it well, and over medium-high heat cook for a few minutes and then turn
off
the heat. Cover the lid of the pot with a clean rag/paper towel and let
the
mixture sit in the pot for about an hour.
Next, pour out the paste into a flat dish, mold/decorate it into the shape
you want, sprinkle the mixture of sugar and cinnamon on top of it (while
it
is still warm), and serve.

Hints:

Use unsalted white flour. Otherwise, the salt in the flour and the sugar
used in the recipe give this dish a weird taste!!
The rose water (liquid rose flower extract), is found in most Middle
Eastern
specialty stores.


Linda in Tennessee

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