Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

I know what you are thinking – date balls for Christmas – yuck.  Well maybe that is just what I thought.  At any rate, these classic Christmas cookies are now one of my favorites.  The melted dates are blended with butter to create a scrumptious almost caramel like texture that is infused with rice krispies for a bit of crunch.  My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 lb. pitted dates, cut fine
1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 cups Rice Krispies®
extra fine flake coconut

In a medium-size heavy saucepan, melt the dates, sugar and butter together over medium heat (stirring constantly) until it is smooth (almost like caramel).  Remove from the heat. Then add the eggs, milk, vanilla and salt stirring well.  Be sure to cool the date mixture slightly before adding the eggs so they don’t get scrambled.  Put the mixture back on the stove over low heat stirring until thickened.  Again remove from heat and mix in the nuts and the rice krispies until well distributed.  Cool completely.  Place the coconut in a small bowl. Butter your hands to keep the mixture from sticking and form the mixture into 1″ diameter size balls and then roll the balls of cookies in coconut.  Place on wax paper until the cookie balls are set.  Store in an airtight container.