1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced.
2. Put the butter and palm sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar softens,but is not boiling.
3. Pour into a mixing bowl,leave to cool slightly so it's not piping hot,then add the egg and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and almost free of sugar lumps.
4.. Mix in the spices,carob,flour and bicarb then stir in the chocolate,ginger and dates.
5. Take 50-gram scoops of dough and roll into balls. Place five centimetres apart on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper and flatten the balls to about one centimetre high.
6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes depending on how crisp you like them. Bake in batches,or store the biscuit mix in the fridge (for a week,shape and bake straight from chilled) or shaped into balls and frozen (up to three months,thaw before baking).