Egypt is the number one date-producing country in the world but a little closer to home in California, also known as the date's home. There are thousands of date palm trees that thrive due to the West Coast climate. And dates can be added to many sweet or savory dishes. Dates are naturally sweet and are almost always found dried in local markets, making them even more adorable. A great way to use up some dates beyond making sticky toffee pudding is to turn them into date sugar. Date Sugar is a nutrient-rich substitute for refined sugars, and making your own is super simple. Dates are dried out in the oven for several hours at a low temperature until they are crisp and no longer sticky, then cooled down and ground into a brown sugar-like texture. Using dates as a natural sweetener adds a caramel-like flavor to any baked goods and makes for a healthy topping added to yogurt or oatmeal. Try adding date sugar to sweeten up your next smoothie! Dates contain many naturally occurring sugars yet are high in fiber, giving you a slow release of energy for those busy days. Important Note: To ensure your dates don't get burnt, use pitted dates, i.e., those with the pits/seeds removed.
