Date and Pecan Pudding
Share this Post
Tweet this PostThe Giveway
Have you entered your name for the $100 gift certificate and the cookbook giveaway? If not, what are you waiting for? Check this post out to see how to enter.
A couple of months ago I picked up some (read, a lot) dates just because it was on sale! Normally this is okay, our fridge is usually empty save for a bunch of fruits, some dried out vegetables and some take-out food containers, usually way past the expiration dates. So cleaning out the fridge used to be pretty much about throwing stuff out. But these days it is a different story. The real-estate inside the refrigerator is prime- the crispers are full of veggies, the meat/seafood tray is always packed, the doors are filled with different types of pickles, juices, water bottles etc. And the rest of the fridge is occupied with left overs, different varieties none more than two days old. It is a lived-in kitchen now, with all the mom’s cooking that’s been going on. So these dates which I planted in the fridge, just because that is the only place where I could find stuff a month ago, were taking up some coveted real estate. We have been trying to eat as much as we could, but the last two cups had to come out this Sunday after another farmer’s market run. I had to get rid of these, and the only way I could think of was to make a dessert out of it.
So here is a simple date pudding recipe, the simplest it can get. No, this is not even closely related to the traditional Date Pudding- the Sticky Date Pudding. This is totally my own experiment that turned out great, and I couldn’t think of another name for it!
Ingredients
(Makes about 6 servings)
- 2 cups pitted dates (Medjool, other varieties should work too)
- 1 cup pecans (whole or pieces)
- 4 cups non-fat milk
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- a pinch cardamom powder
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp unflavored gelatin powder
Method
- Sprinkle gelatin over 3 tbsp orange juice and let it stand for a few minutes without stirring. This will soften the gelatin.
- In a large saucepan, mix the milk, sugar, dates and pecans and bring to a boil. Cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes till the dates and pecans are soft. Add the cardamom powder and stir well.
- Remove from heat, and use a hand blender to process the ingredients till smooth.
- Add the softened gelatin and mix well till the gelatin is completely absorbed.
- Transfer to pudding cups and chill for at least three hours till set.
- Garnish with chopped dates and nuts.
Isn’t that simple? With non-fat milk and just 2 tbsp sugar, it is a relatively guilt free dessert too. There is a lot of fiber in this as well, this was purely by accident though. I didn’t bother to skin the dates beforehand (I am not even sure if I could, since it will be a pretty cumbersome process to sit and skin all these dates!). I was hoping I would just strain the mixture afterwards, but of course Science got in the way and that didn’t work out quite the way I expected. But that was no big deal, it had a rustic texture due to the ground date skins, but still smooth enough and quite pudding-y.
Dates and pecans, what a combo! I’m definitely making this soon. Yum!
great combination Sig!!!
Looks like you and siv had a nice time relishing it!!!
Thats really a fat free, low in sugar and high in fiber, Dieter’s dream recipe which is very fast and easy, Have to try this for sure. I guess we can play with those nutty flavors too! as am not big fan of pecans. Well I am a new blogger and when time permits do visit me at
http://padmaskitchen.blogspot.com
Lovely recipe Sig. I liked the color of the pudding.
Dates are always yummy! This one looks great too…
hw abt little bit of figs???? mmm…i can almost taste it:) long time no see(i know it applies to me also:) hw r u girl? enjoying with ur folks?
Ur pudding has nice colour….. Lovely photos….Love it…
awesome sig …you rock lady dessert is too good …i wish i could have the glass in the pic …sorry if i am late on commenting …..
Great recipe Sig. Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe, the color looks so pleasant… The dessert is too good!!!
That looks easys as long as I don’t spray the kitchen while using the hand mixer, or my pudding refuses to set
i love the picture, not a big date fan
Coffee, Viji, thanks
Raaga, cashew nuts will go great with this. Let me know how it goes… and yeah, we all have our kitchen disaster stories..
Anita, thanks for that recipe… that is simple enough, and will be trying as soon as I get some more dates… which will be a while now, since I’ve had an overdose
Bharathy, thanks
Richa, lol you are a date fan, aren’t you?
.. And skinning the dates, you know I don’t know if its possible, but the skins sure changed the texture of the dish.. I was thinking that if there is a way to remove the skin, that would really make it a more smoother creamier dessert. 
Asha, been so busy lately, but I will drop by to catch up with your 101st post.
Shn… , lol… that will be the day
. Just read in Forbes that Rachael Ray made about 8 mil last year… sigh….
Lata, hey, so the cookbook stole my idea….?
:D … let me know if they had a way of improving the texture…
Shilpa, lol my mom is like that too… thats why I cleaned up the pantry before she came, she will get a heart attach if she saw how much stuff I waste
Musie… yeah when we grocery shop, there is a plan for each and every ingredient… but once these get into the fridge, most are forgotten till they turn into unidentifiable smelly organisms..
Bee,yeah, figs should work too… I will try that next time, since I don’t want to buy dates for a looong time now
Suganya, I think pista will be better than pecans, but pecans were what I had at hand…
Cyn, want or need… that is the question…
for me everything I buy are Must Have items
Archana, lol… thats exactly how I operate too…thats how I end up with so much junk in my fridge and pantry… You made the right decision to postpone it to another day…
Jyothi, Indo thanks
Sharmi, thanks.. Yes I do use a lot of gelatin
always have it in stock, for easy breezy desserts… I tried agar, but didn’t like the taste much. 
Usha, Karin, Lera, Amy, thanks
Padmaja, yep Siv and I and my parents too… it is good to make desserts now, with four people in the house…we don’t tend to over indulge…
Padma, thanks, and you have a great blog…Nice work!
TOM, Shantanu, thanks
Sup, hey good to see you girl, yep life’s been too busy lately… deadlines at work…
Will be coming by soon for a visit . 
Sukanya, thanks
Deepa, better late than never right? I have been missing too many posts from all my blogger friends lately
Priyanka, Cinnamon thanks
Sandeepa,
Lol spraying the kitchen, or your clothes is a real possiblity… but gelatin has never failed me so far 
Dumela, ahem… I mean Rachna
so you don’t like dates? try figs instead then 
Wow, that pudding looks so good and so simple to make.