Hawkins' Date Cookies

Karen Hawkins
aka Kim Bennet contributed this recipe to a progressive, dinner put together for millenniums 2000 by romance authors published by Avon Books. I love her approach so much, I am going to go find one of her books --

This is Karen's comment about the date cookie recipe: here is the recipe for my favorite holiday cookies, right from the kitchen of Grandma Hawkins, who makes Betty Crocker look like a short order cook. My Grandma called this recipe her fool-proof (should I read something into that?), no-mess (yep, I should read something into that) Date Cookies.

Date Cookie Recipe
(makes 5 dozen cookies)

Crust:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400° F. Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Sift together dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture. Chill. Divide dough in half. Make Date Filling.

Date Filling:

1 pound pitted dates
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts

In saucepan, combine 1 pound pitted and cut up dates, sugar, and water. Cook and stir till mixture boils and thickens slightly. Cool. Just before using, add walnuts.

On lightly floured surface, roll one part of dough in 12 x 8-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread half of Date Filling over dough. Beginning at long edge, roll like jelly roll. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap rolls in waxed paper. Chill several hours. Slice 1/4 inch thick and bake on greased cookie sheet at 400° F. for 8 minutes.

A friendly word of warning from Karen; these things are addictive. She remembers sitting under the table at her grandmother's, cramming these suckers in her mouth so her mean, evil sister wouldn't get any. And that was just last year.

To see another date cookie recipe from our family, click here on Date Bars.

This recipe has been kitchen tested.

You can find the above recipe(s) by tapping here on the Home Cookin' index.

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