I'm always looking for ways to use dates and everyone loves these but I thought they were called "Date Balls". You can also roll them in dessicated coconut. (Actually instead of rolling them it's easier to put the powdered sugar or coconut into a ziplock bag and put 3 or 4 balls in at a time then shake them to cover them evenly.)
This will become a family Christmas tradition. I think they will have to be renamed though!:) Name: Skillet Cookies. Described: "A candy like cookie made in a skillet." Instructions - "In a saucepan..."
Oh my!! These are really good! My only change was instead of rolling them in powdered sugar which I am out of I rolled them in finely ground coconut. It reduces the sweetness-you might want to try it with coconut. I love these and I know my husband who can't stand coconut will enjoy them also. Thanks Barbara for the good recipe.
Wow these are exquisite! I was surprised at how good and addictive these are! I used pre-ground dates; about 1 cup. I also added extra rice crispies because I love the extra crisp. I honestly eyeballed most of the ingredients. I did cut down on the sugar. only used about half a cup even a little less. I honestly don't know what the egg yolks add to it. I am sure they would have worked out just fine without them. Don't worry if you don't see any boiling action the consistency is so thick it doesn't really boil. As long as it looks pasty enough and starts to come off the sides of the pan when stirring you know it's ready to remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. For the icing sugar I put some in a resealable bag and toss the balls in it. Very fast and no clean-up! So easy to make and so worth it! Perfect combination of chewiness crispiness crunch and awsome taste! Thanks so much for this recipe!UPDATE i JUST MADE THESE AGAIN AND THIS TIME I OMITTED THE EGG YOLK. I MADE ABOUT DOUBLE THE QUANTITY BUT EYEBALLED EVERYTHING. I ALSO USED BROWN SUGAR AND AGAIN JUST ABOUT 1/2 CUP FOR THE WHOLE THING. I COATED SOME IN ICING SUGAR BUT RAN OUT AFTER A FEW SO DID THE REST IN COCONUT FLAKES. THE LACK OF YOLK MADE ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE! I LOVE THIS "COOKIE"!! IT'S SOOO HEALTHY EASY AND YUMMMY. I WON'T EVER WORRY ABT THE EGG YOLK EITHER WHICH MAKES NOW EVEN EASIER! THANK YOU:)
Oh my goodness these were terrific! All in all a good end product and eating just two satisfied my sweet tooth all day. I had to melt the butter then let cool a little before whisking in the egg yolks. I had trouble getting the ingredients to boil due to the thickness. Eager to make the balls I nearly burned my hands making the first dozen! I let it cool a little bit and then made the rest but by the time I got to the last 2/3 cup of mix it was really difficult to form into balls because it was too cool. Next time I make these I'll form all the balls then roll in powdered sugar. A couple tips: use unsalted butter and don't make them larger than a two-bite ball -- they're very sweet and tasty! My kids ADORE them!
I have made a form of this cookie my whole life. I added almond estract(oops) instead of vanilla so I added slivered almonds instead of the pecans. My husband just loved this variation. I never take the time to make into balls. I just roll it log style into wax papter or parchment. Place into refrigerator dust with powder sugar before slicing.
I love dates but for some reason I think these are just OK. Rated 5 stars because the recipe is perfect. Don't expect it to come to a full rolling boil. Start timing when it appears as if it's starting to boil. Don't burn your hands trying to roll. They roll nicely while the dough is still warm. The icing sugar stuck beautifully to the dough balls. I wonder if the person who had problems with the sugar not sticking was because the dough was still hot? The coconut didn't want to stick as well and I rolled those first. You can see a LOT of brown candy through the coconut but the icing sugar ones looks like a plate of snowballs. 1 Tablespoon of dough for each ball made 37 balls.
Yum! So good! I even made them vegan (dairy and egg allergies over here!) by subbing the butter for 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine and 1/4 cup coconut oil and omitted the egg yolks completely. I also added about 1/2 cup brown sugar instead of the white sugar. So so good! Next time I'm going to try using only coconut oil...I think it would give great flavor!
What a fantastic recipe! I have made this several times using walnuts instead of pecans. I have found that the mixture stays together better by adding an extra 1/2 cup of rice krispies. This is my husband's favorite cookie.
