With Ramadan just around the corner (11 March), many Muslims are beginning to think about and plan their iftar meals. One major part of the holy month is breaking your fast with dates, as it’s something prophet Mohammed (pbuh) used to do. Dates have become a key symbol for Ramadan, but they can also be used in several ways, including in a range of delicious desserts.

So, if you’re looking to experiment with dates during Ramadan or have simply bought too many and need to use them up, we’ve pulled together three date-inspired sweet recipes that will be perfect for a treat alongside your post-iftar cup of tea.

Tilly says: “This date and ginger cake is an adaptation of my mum’s much-loved sticky date pudding recipe. Growing up, mum’s sticky date pudding was a dinner party staple – a simple, caramelly delight. The caramel sauce was a real favourite of mine until it was once confused with left-over gravy and served to me atop roast beef. Not such a winner. Nevertheless, I promise you this cake will become a firm favourite. It’s comfortingly nostalgic, with a nice warmth from fresh ginger. It’s the daytime version of mum’s pudding, really – easy and quite excellent.”

Makes one bundt cake

Ingredients 

• 160g (5½oz) dried dates, roughly chopped
• 250ml (9fl oz) full-cream (whole) milk
• 165g (5¾oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 125g (4½oz) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons finely diced fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 225g (8oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra to dust
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

For the ginger glaze:

• 120g (4¼oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 teaspoons boiling water

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) fan-forced and grease a 1.5 litre (52 fl oz) bundt tin thoroughly with melted butter. Dust with a little plain flour, tapping out any excess.

Place the dates, milk, caster sugar, butter and diced ginger in a saucepan and heat until almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Allow to cool to room temperature. When the date mixture has cooled, add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.

Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Pour the cooled date mixture in and stir gently to combine. Spoon the batter into the tin, smoothing the top and tapping the tin lightly on the bench to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes or until risen and cooked through.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cake is cool, make the ginger glaze. Combine the icing sugar, ground ginger and boiling water in a small mixing bowl. Mix until smooth, adding another splash of water if necessary, until you have a lovely drippy glaze.

Pour over the cake and allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving. This cake keeps happily in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days – just warm the slices slightly before serving.

From The Plain Cake Appreciation Society: 52 Weeks Of Cake by Tilly Pamment (Murdoch Books, £22)

Philip says: “Maamoul is famous throughout the Middle East. It is a semolina cookie encasing a sweet date paste or crushed nuts, and they are often scented with orange blossom water or rose water but more traditionally with mahleb made from the seeds of the St Lucy cherry stone, akin to the flavour of bitter almond. I love that, though they are now commonly served all year around, they show the incredible way that food transcends religion – in a region where conflict has been a constant, this treat is enjoyed by the three major religions at Easter, Ramadan and Purim.

If only we could celebrate more of what we have in common rather than be divided by things that we don’t. Seek out a specific maamoul mould, which is similar to a mooncake mould. They were traditionally made by carving a medallion shape into a small wooden paddle, but nowadays many are just made from heavy plastic. The moulds are available online and at Middle Eastern grocery stores.”

Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients

For the semolina biscuit dough:

• 220g fine semolina
• 45g plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1g baking powder
• 65g caster (superfine) sugar
• 80g coconut oil (deodorised), melted
• 20g extra virgin olive oil
• 15g orange blossom water
• 4g rose water
• 70g plant-based milk, room temperature

For the nut filling:

• 150g pistachios or walnuts
• 60g caster (superfine) sugar
• 30g orange blossom water
• icing (confectioners) sugar, for dusting

For the date filling:

• 200g Medjool dates, pitted
• 20g orange blossom water
• oil (optional), for greasing

Method

Add the fine semolina, flour and baking powder in a bowl.

Add the caster sugar, melted coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, orange blossom water, rose water and milk in another bowl and use a balloon whisk to whisk very well. Add the liquids to the flour mixture and mix with a silicone spoon until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (390°F/gas 6).

For the nut filling: Pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor until it comes together, but retains nice chunks of nuts. I like to pre-mould by filling it halfway and tapping it out before wrapping in dough.

For the date filling: Pulse the dates and orange blossom water in a food processor to a paste. You can lightly oil your hands and then roll the filling into balls, about 15g and 1.5cm in diameter.

Cut the chilled dough into 25g pieces and press into discs with your hands. Place each filling inside and wrap the dough around it to fully encase it.

Press the ball of dough into the mould, then tap it out with a swift movement against the work surface.

Arrange the cookies on a large baking sheet and bake for approximately 10–12 minutes until the bottom edges are golden. Be careful not to overbake the cookies as this can cause them to be tough and crack open.

Leave the date-filled cookies plain (they’re sweet enough!) and dust the nut-filled maamoul with icing sugar.

Note: Mould sizes do vary. It’s recommended that you test the fillings to test the quantities for size.

From A New Way To Bake by Philip Khoury (Hardie Grant, £30)

Benjamina says: “I’ll start by saying this is a very sweet dessert and so I have to be in a very specific mood for this. For me, it needs to be a cold, wintry evening, with the wind and rain howling outside and I’m all wrapped up and cosy on the sofa needing a warm hit of sticky sugar. This tart is a mash-up of two British classics, full to the brim with squidgy, caramelly dates and the signature breadcrumb texture of a treacle tart. Serve with a splash of cold cream or, if you really want to go for it with all guns blazing, you can add a little pour of the toffee sauce.”

Serves 10–12

Ingredients

For the base:

• 200g (7oz) digestive biscuits (graham crackers)
• 100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 150g (5½oz) Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 75ml (2½fl oz/⅓ cup) boiling water
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 140g (5oz/2½ cups) fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp flaky sea salt
• 30g (1oz/1½ tbsp) treacle
• 280g (10oz/generous ¾ cup) golden syrup
• 40g (1½oz/3 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp double (heavy) cream, plus extra to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6).

First, make the base. Crush the biscuits in a food processor or put them in a food bag and bash with a rolling pin until fine. Tip the biscuits into a bowl and pour in the melted butter, stirring until everything is evenly coated.

Pour the mixture into a loose-bottomed 20cm (8-in) cake pan. Use the back of a spoon to press the mixture firmly onto the base and up the sides of the pan.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool. Turn the oven down to 170°C (150°C fan/325°F/gas mark 3).

To make the filling, add the dates to a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and let the dates soak and soften for 10 minutes. Use a fork to mash them up as much as you can.

In a large bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, gently heat the treacle, golden syrup and butter until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the dates. Pour the mixture into the breadcrumbs and stir until evenly coated. Add the egg yolks and cream and mix until fully combined.

Tip the mixture into the biscuit base and bake for 35–40 minutes or until the filling is firm to the touch.

Let it cool a little and serve warm with a splash of cold cream.

From A Good Day To Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi (Quadrille, £22)

Images: Tilly Pamment; Matt Russell; Laura Edwards