My mother would always bake date nut bread and fruit cake during the holidays. I on the other hand, have always been more of a cookie person, so I combined the best of both and this wonderful Date & Nut Drop Cookie has become an annual family tradition during the holidays. It may not have much of a colorful festive look to it, but it has a natural rustic element that reminds me of an old fashioned Christmas.
Date & Nut Drop Cookies
- Servings: 18-24
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups dates, pitted and chopped
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- 18 – 24 pieces of whole pecans
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Combine butter, salt, and vanilla - blend well.
- Add sugar and cream well.
- Beat eggs and blend into mixture.
- Sift flour with soda and slowly add to the creamed mixture part by part, alternating with the milk. Mix thoroughly.
- Stir in dates and walnuts.
- Drop from teaspoon and flatten with glass covered with damp cloth. Press down one pecan on top of each cookie.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy.
Recipe Tags
Dates tie to my roots in England and the Middle East. The Date Palm Tree comes from the Middle East and is associated with Christmas because once upon a time fresh fruits were rare in the winter time and dates along with other sun dried fruits were preserved and used in Christmas cooking for a kiss of sunshine. Dried dates are readily available during Christmas time and very popular in Britian, often served stuffed with marzipan. Living in California now, where dates grow on many Palm Trees, it’s unfortunate that dates have acquired somewhat of a bad reputation for being just as common and unwelcome as fruit cake at Christmas time. It's too bad because dates make some truly delicious recipes, most of them desserts. In my effort to bring dates back into favor, I have to offer this recipe for Date & Nut Drop Cookies. I think these cookies bake up wonderfully to make the whole house smell great for Thanksgiving and Christmas alike.
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