Black Seed, Date & Honey Flapjacks/Oat Bars

Bittersweet flapjacks/oat bars - ideal for a healthier breakfast or snack.

I spent my weekend baking with date paste i had leftover from Makrout making for Eid al adha.

First I made my very first maamoul pastries / cookies and without the use of a mold!  

The indents i had made using a fork didn't quite match up to the imprint of a mold in design or effectiveness as once the pastries / cookies had baked they came out looking, well just like round cookies, all be it date stuffed cookies.

Equally crisp pastry to soft sticky date center, I certainly wasn't complaining about their looks whilst eating this Arabian delight.

I will definitely make them again in shaa Allah next time using more force with the fork action or you know buy a mold like everyone else!

Should you know where I can purchase a mold online (in the UK) kindly let me know in a comment, thank you.

Now onto these rough around the edges but still beautiful and healthier flapjacks. 

This is not my first time experimenting with the use of black seeds in flapjacks - check here

What's different? the addition of dates, cinnamon, orange blossom water, almonds and the subtraction of refined sugar. I'm not a cane sugar hater by any stretch of the imagination but when honey can be used instead without affecting the bake in a negative way I'm all ears, eyes, and every other part of me, in.

We all know food is the best form of medicine, right? and no doubt it's better to eat dates, honey and black seeds also known as nigella sativa in their raw form you still will get some of the nutrient benefit from eating these flapjacks, in shaa Allah.

Narrated Abu Hurairah (Radhi-yallaahu 'anhu): I heard Allah's Messenger (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) saying, ''There is healing in black cumin for all diseases except death.'' [Meaning of Sahih al-Bukhaaree, Book of Medicine, Hadeeth No. 5688] source

Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said "Whoever ate seven dates in the morning from the area of Aaliyah will not be harmed by poison or magic for the rest of that day". He also said "People of a house where there are no dates are hungry". Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam ate dried dates with butter, with bread & alone. source

A Hadith [narrated by Ibn Majah and others] stated that Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said:

علَيْكُم بالشِّفَاءَيْنِ‏:‏ العَسَلِ والقُرآنِ

"Make use of the two cures: Honey and the Quran".

This Hadith joins the material and the divine cures, the medicine of the body and the soul, the earthly medicine and the heavenly cure. source

For more info on medicine of the prophet muhammad sallallaho alaihe wasallam visit tibb-e-nabawi

Chewy sticky dates and oats, crunchy seeds and nuts who can resist? bitter from black seeds (those seeds you find in naan bread and on top of pastries) and orange blossom water then sweet dates and honey, these flapjacks are just right for those without an overly sweet tooth, is that you?

Black Seed Date & Honey Flapjacks 

Recipe source: adapted from Scotland For Visitors

Level: easy

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Makes: 8

Ingredients

125 grams slightly salted butter

125 grams honey (i used light and mild - use a stronger one if you want to even out the bitterness of black seed)

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

125 grams rolled oats

1 tablespoon each of sesame seeds and nibbed almonds

½ tablespoon nigella sativa / black seeds

½ teaspoon cinnamon

125 grams date paste or pitted dates, chopped

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 20 cm square baking tin (leave enough for overhang - this will help you lift the bars out once cooled)
2. In a medium pan, gently melt butter, honey and orange blossom water together until butter had melted.
3. In a bowl combine oats, black seeds, sesame seeds, nibbed almonds and cinnamon together. Pour dry mix into wet mix and stir to combine then stir in your chopped dates.
4. Scoop mixture into lined tin and level off with the back of a spoon. Bake on middle shelf for 25-30 mins or until dark golden brown. Using a knife carefully divide into bars whilst still warm but leave in the tin to cool then remove using overhang of parchment to easily lift them our.

NOTE

Pregnant women should not use black seed especially the oil as it has been reported in Iman Ibn Qayyum's Medicine of the Prophet that it can promote abortion. A decoction of black seed can also promote contractions of the uterus after birth.