Sweet Date Muffins

Save the date! Rosh Hashana is less than a month away and I'm trying to come up with ways to turn the symbolic foods of this holiday into muffin form. 

Dates are one of the symbolic foods we eat on Rosh Hashana. The Hebrew word for date is tamar which is similar to the word sheyitamu which means to be consumed - we hope that this coming year our enemies be consumed. 

Dates are also super sweet and are turned into silan or date honey which is one of the main ingredients in these muffins and give the muffins their sweetness instead of sugar. 

Make these muffins today and stash them in the freezer for Rosh Hashana or eat them all this week, that's ok too. 

Date Muffins 

2 cups flour 

2 tsp cinnamon 

2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

10 dates, pitted and chopped*

1/2 cup silan - date syrup 

3/4 cup milk of your choice 

1/3 cup oil 

1 tsp vanilla 

2 eggs 

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C 

Line a standard-size muffin pan with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dates and using your fingers, break up the sticky chunks and coat them with the flour so they don't stick to each other. 

In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup mix together the silan, milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Make sure not to overmix the batter as this will result in chewy and dense muffins. 

Scoop into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 15-18 minutes. 

Enjoy and Shana Tova U'metuka!! 

Yield:12 standard size muffins 

*Feel free to leave the dates out of the muffin batter and just have a silan and cinnamon-flavored muffin with no chunks :)