Gordon: "I was inspired to make these after a trip to Dubai, where sweet, luscious dates are a treat. They are fabulous as sweet canapés."


  1. Put the pistachio nuts and caster sugar into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Do not over-process, otherwise the nuts may release their oils and become greasy. Drizzle in the honey, lemon juice and rosewater and blend until the mixture starts to clump together.

  2. Turn the marzipan onto a surface dusted with icing sugar and knead lightly until soft and smooth.

  3. Halve the dates lengthways and remove the stones. Take about a teaspoonful of the pistachio marzipan and shape it into a roll slightly shorter than the length of the date you are filling, dusting it with a little icing sugar to prevent the paste from sticking to your hands.

  4. Insert the marzipan into the slit and press the date gently to encase the filling. Put the date in a small waxed paper case and repeat to stuff the rest of the dates.