Instructions: COARSELY chop the dates and walnuts and put them in a bowl. Add the spices and rum and mix well. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

The kiwi sauce: Peel and dice the kiwi. Put sugar in a pan, add two tbsp.

(30 ml.) water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the kiwi and simmer for five minutes. Remove, cool and pass through a fine mesh soup strainer into a sauceboat.

The cracker mixture: Add the egg white and chocolate sponge crumbs to the macerated dates and walnuts. Mix well. Divide the mixture into eight portions and roll into six cm. long croquets.

Place a date and walnut croquet in the centre of each of the wonton skins, roll tightly to ensure that the filling is compactly packed and is at least 1.5 cm. away from the ends. Then frill the edges with a pair of scissors and secure tightly with a band of foil. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the crackers and deep fry over medium heat until golden. Remove to an absorbent paper to drain the excess fat. Remove the foil from the frill, cover the

"barrel" with varakh and dust with icing sugar.

[Chocolate sponge crumbs can be obtained from leftover chocolate sponge cake, which is dried at room temperature and then passed through a fine mesh.]

To serve: Make a bed of kiwi sauce on each of the four individual plates.

Place two crackers over the sauce and garnish with orange segments. Serve warm.

NOTES : Makes 8 crackers

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