Date-Berry Sweet Couscous Tart

RSC #7 June 2005. This is my first experience with couscous and I hope Evelyn is proud of my results. It's easiest to use a tart pan with a removable bottom or a spring form pan and press dough up the sides about 1 1/2 inches. I had about 1/2 cup left over which I put into muffin tins and filled. Dough can be covered and refrigerated overnight. I can't put this in the recipe, but you can serve this with ice cream, or chocolate sauce, or whipped cream, or fruity yogurt, or.. or... or.....

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• CRUST

• 1⁄2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 3⁄4 cup powdered sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 egg (beat one egg and use half here and the other half in the filling)
• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup pistachios (chopped fine)

• FILLING

• 2  cups  orange juice (divided)
• 2  cups water (divided)
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1 (10 ounce) box couscous
• 15  dates
• 1  tablespoon brown sugar (packed)
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 3  eggs (beaten lightly)
• 1⁄4 cup plain yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch
• 2  cups strawberries, roughly chopped
• 2  tablespoons bittersweet chocolate (ground, chopped, or slivered)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter pan lightly.
3. CRUST:
4. Cream butter and sugar together.
5. Add vanilla and egg, beat for 2 minutes with electric beater on medium.
6. Slowly add flour and mix well.
7. Stir in pistachios.
8. Press into tart pan and up sides. I had about 1/2 cup too much and just put into muffin tins.
9. FILLING:
10. Using a medium pan, put in 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon butter.
11. Bring just to boil and stir in couscous.
12. Cover, remove from heat for 5 minutes. Put in large bowl, fluff up with a fork, and allow to cool.
13. Remove seeds from dates.
14. Put dates in small pan and cover with 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup water.
15. Simmer for 20 minutes, drain, remove any loose skins, allow to cool, chop fine (or mash), put in separate bowl.
16. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, eggs and yogurt.
17. Mix corn starch in cream and add to bowl.
18. Mix all together until well blended.
19. Pour into couscous and mix well.
20. Stir in strawberries.
21. Pour into crust and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
22. Sprinkle top with chocolate and bake another 5 minutes.
23. Cool and refrigerate.
24. Serve cold.