Christmas Date Cookies

(from Ryan77’s recipe box)

Source: Joanne Fluke

Categories: Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped pitted dates
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 beaten eggs
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 51/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar in a small bowl for later

Directions

  1. Do not preheat oven quite yet. This dough must chill before baking.

  2. Pour the boiling water over the chopped dates, give them a stir with a fork, and set them aside on the counter to cool.

  3. Melt the butter in a microwave-sale bowl for 90 seconds on HIGH Heat. Set the melted butter on the counter to cool.

  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the white sugar, baking soda, salt, and eggs. Beat well.

  5. Feel the bowl with the date mixture. If you can hold it comfortably in your hands, add it now and mix thoroughly. If it’s too hot, let it cool another couple of minutes.

  6. Once the dates are mixed in, add the chocolate t hips to your bowl and mix. Then add the melted butter and infix thoroughly.

  7. Add the flour in half-cup increments beating after each addition. Take the bowl from the mixer, give it a final stir by hand, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill. (Overnight is fine, too.)

  8. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F rack in the middle position.

  9. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands. This dough may be sticky, so roll only enough for the cookies you plan to bake immediately and then return the bowl to the refrigerator.

  10. Roll the dough halls in the howl of white sugar and place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten them slightly with your hand so they won’t fall off on the way to the oven.

  11. Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two and then remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

  12. You can freeze for up to 3 months in freezer bags.

Email to a friend | Print this recipe | Back