Prep time: 40 minutes + cooling
Cooking time: about 45 minutes
Serves: 8-10
2 cups (300g) plain flour
185g cold butter, chopped
2 cups (400g) fresh dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup (55g) glace ginger, finely chopped
2/3 cup (70g) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (40g) shredded coconut
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the mixture together until it resem-bles breadcrumbs. Take out 3/4 cup of this mixture and set it aside.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of iced water to the larger portion, and mix with
a knife until the mixture starts to clump together (add a tiny bit more water if necessary). Gather this dough into a ball, then roll out on
a large sheet of non-stick baking paper to fit a 34cm x 10cm (base measurement) loose-bottom flan tin. Line the tin with the pastry, and chill for 15 minutes (save the paper).
3. Lay the baking paper over the pastry, fill with dry rice or beans. Bake 10 minutes, then remove the paper and rice and bake a further 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden and the base is dry. Cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, combine the dates and ginger in a saucepan with
2/3 cup (160mL) water. Bring to a simmer, and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and pulpy. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
5. Spread the cooled date mixture over the cooled pastry base. Add the walnuts, coconut and brown sugar to the reserved flour and butter mixture, and combine with your fingers. Sprinkle this over the date mixture, and press on gently. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until it is golden-brown on top. Serve warm
or at room temperature.
