Aurora Catering's

The Rougaroux Date Martini
Yield -  4 Cream Martinis

Chef's Comments

This recipe is based on my visits to Palm Spring, CA...  My brother Marc and his wife Sharon love to hike and we did the Painted Canyon Ladders Hike.... BUTTTT on the way we stopped at a palm date farm that made Malted Milkshakes with Dates REALLY!  This is my take on the drink and I Creole and Cajunized it!!

Milkshake Ingredients

1  MEXICAN VANILLA BEAN or 1/4 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT

6  MEDJOOL DATES (Seeded)

4  JIGGER SHOTS OF "Rougaroux (Full Moon) Rum"  (See Chef's Notes below)

2  TBSP MALTED MILK POWDER

1/2  CUP HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM

8 OZ  CREOLE CREAM CHEESE ICE CREAM (or regular Cream Cheese or Vanilla Ice Cream, See Chef's Notes)

Presentation Ingredients

SPRINKLE OF FRESH GROUND NUTMEG

LOT  SMALL MEDJOOL DATES

OLD STYLE MARTINI GLASSES

LOT  60's STYLE PLASTIC ANIMALS (Used to skewer olives and hang them off the side on a Martini Glass!)

Method

Use a paring knife and slit the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the pulp on the inside of the bean.  Then, use a small food processor; add the paste of the bean and incorporate the dates, mince to a paste... A catering chef would increase this amount by many times factor as needed and store for future use.

Add the paste to a stand up Hamilton Beach blender, or quart container.  Then blend with the remaining milkshake ingredients.  IF a HB blender is not available, then use an emersion blender.  DO NOT OVER BLEND!!  YOU will make butter out of the heavy whipping cream!

Plate Presentation

Pour into a chilled old style Martini glasses and top with a Medjool date skewered plastic monkey and sprinkle with nutmeg.