Good timing, I know I use more dates during the Holidays than the rest of the year. I picked up three boxes the other day and when I got home and was putting them away, I found four boxes that I had already stashed.

So bring on the date recipes, I've got an overload.

Our next Cookalong will be in 2011!

Nancy

Date-Nut Bread

1-1/2 cups chopped dates
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I use either pecans or walnuts)

In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the dates and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a standard loaf pan (or 3 mini loaf pans).

Mix shortening, brown sugar, and eggs. Add cooled date mixture.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda, and stir into date mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake standard-sized loaf for 60 - 70 minutes, mini loaves for about 40 - 45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Date-Nut Balls

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups chopped dates
1-1/2 cups chopped nuts
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
shredded coconut

Combine butter, sugar and egg into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in dates, nuts, and cereal. Form into balls, squeezing mixture together. Roll in coconut.

Lori

Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls
from Gourmet/September 1996 and reprinted December 2001
(About 36 cookies)

Ingredients
1 cup packed soft dried figs (8 oz), stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 cup packed pitted dates (7 oz), trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons anise seeds, ground in an electric coffee/spice grinder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup granulated raw sugar such as turbinado or Demerara

Directions
Puree figs and dates with water and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until almost smooth.

Whisk together flour, anise, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter, cream cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and yolk until combined well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined.

Halve dough and form each half into a rectangle. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.

Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 9- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1/3 inch thick. Remove top sheet of wax paper and drop half of fig mixture by spoonfuls onto dough, then gently spread in an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Starting with a long side and using wax paper as an aid, roll up dough jelly-roll style into a log. Roll log in raw sugar to coat completely. Make another log in same manner. Chill logs, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and arrange slices about 2 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, 15 to 17 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool.

Cooks' notes
Logs can be chilled up to 3 days.
Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper in an
airtight container at room temperature, 1 week.

Gotta say tho, Lori....that bread could almost make me a convert! LOL

Linda

Alexa

************************************************************

Christopher Wren Gems
8 os Calimyrna figs
8 oz pitted dates
1 cup Marsala
8 oz cream cheese
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
8 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
Lemon slices (garnish)
Chopped parsley (garnish)

1. Cut figs in half and combine with the dates in a small bowl. Cover with 1 cup Marsala and let stand at least 1 hour.

2. Process the cream cheese, hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon Marsala in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until blended. Refrigerate until cold.

3. Drain figs and dates, reserving the marsala. Slit each date down the center and open each fig half to form a pocket. Fill each fig and date with a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.

4. Preheat oven to 350

5. Cut strips of prosciutto slightly smaller than the dates and figs are long and wrap 1 strip around each stuffed fruit. Sprinkle with some of the reserved Marsala as your work to keep the prosciutto from drying out.

6. Place wrapped figs and dates on a baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 7 - 10 minutes. Let cook slightly, arrange on a serving platter, sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

Makes about 50.

Now my favorite is Sugar Plums-- on this plate they're at 4 o'clock next to the peanut brittle.

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Candy & other confections

Sugarplums
==========
Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup finely chopped dried figs
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/3 cup sugar
. Line a small baking sheet with waxed paper. In a food processor,
combine the dates, walnuts, apricots, figs, pistachios, brandy, apricot
preserves, cinnamon and cloves. Pulse until the mixture begins to clump
together.

Using a teaspoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of the mixture, press
together, and roll between your palms into a compact ball. Roll the
round in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the
remaining fruit-and-nut mixture and sugar.

Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container
in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 18 confections.

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, After Dinner, by
Kristine Kidd (Time-Life Books, 1998).

I used thick cut bacon on a broiler pan. Slice bacon in half and wrap around the date, secure with tooth pick. Bake at 450 for about 17 minutes. Turn halfway through cooking.

I am sure I have made it many more times with regular thin sliced bacon. I am craving these things just thinking about them. I need to pick up some dates.

This recipe is drop dead to die for. I first had it while in Louisiana visiting Karen (Riverrat) and her wonderful DH,, Karen can attest to the fact I did everything but offer my body to the waiter to get the recipe for this delectable treat.......come to think of it I may have offered my body. He was some cute......

No luck, but a year later the restaurant, Snake River Grill, published a cook book and low and behold there was the recipe! Karen, sweetie that she is, sent me the book. I have served this almost too often; it is that good.

They are amazing when doing the sausage filling from scratch but a really good Chorizo, raw not smoked, works fine and saves time....but if you have the time, and the inclination, make the meat mixture it is so good.

Bacon Wrapped, Sausage Stuffed Dates from the Snake River Grill in Lake Charles LA.

2 TBSP olive oil
1 pound ground lamb or beef
4 oz ground pork
1 TSAP salt
3/4 tsp Black pepper
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped fennel
1 TBSP garlic puree
1 1/2 TBSP Smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tomatoes, blackened and pureed
1 1/2 TBSP chipotle puree
3/4 cup chopped parsley
24 pitted Medjool dates
24 slices good quality bacon

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the ground meat , salt and pepper. Saute until crumbly.

Add the onion, saute 5 minutes. Add the fennel and garlic. Reduce heat to low and add paprika, cumin and cayenne. Cook 5 minutes.

Add the vinegar, stirring to deglaze. Add the orange juice and cooked until reduced by 3/4. Stir in tomato puree and chipotle puree. Simmer 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat , cool to room temp, stir in parsley and refrigerate.

Spoon the cooled meat mixture into each split and pitted date. Wrap each tightly with a slice of bacon.

Place seam side down and bake at 385 for 20 minutes until crisp....I find I need to turn them once.

DATE BARS

Filling:
2 Cups Dates, cut up
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Flour
Grated Zest from one Orange
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Combine all the above ingredients in a heavy sauce pan, and cook over low heat until the dates are soft, and the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, mash any remaining whole Dates. Set aside to cool.

Crust:
1 Cup All-purpose Flour
2 Cups Quick Cooking Oatmeal
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda dissolved in 2 Teaspoons HOT Water
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Melted Butter

Combine all of the ingredients for the crust and stir until well blended. Press 2/3 of the crust mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 cookie sheet. Top with the date mixture, and sprinkle the remaining crust mixture over the top of the dates. Bake 30 minutes in a preheated 350 o F oven.

Steve

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients:
*** *FOR PUDDINGS *** *
4 1/2 ounces Butter, at room temp
7 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
3 Eggs, beaten
9 ounces Self rising flour
9 ounces Dates, chopped
9 fluid ounces -- boiling water
3/4 teaspoon Vanilla
3 teaspoons instant coffee
1 1/8 teaspoon Baking soda
*** *FOR THE SAUCE *** *
9 ounces Brown sugar
6 ounces Butter
9 tablespoons Double (whipping) cream
1 1/2 ounce Pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. You will need twelve 6 oz metal pudding basins or eight 3 inch ramekin dishes (I use muffin tins), lightly oiled, and a baking sheet.

Begin by putting the chopped dates in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Then add vanilla, instant coffee and baking soda. Put to one side. Next in a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together, beating until mixture is pale, light and fluffy. Now gradually add beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. After that, carefully and lightly fold in the sifted flour using a metal spoon, then fold in date mixture including liquid. The mixture will look sloppy, but don't worry. That is perfectly correct and the slackness of the mixture is what makes the pudding so light. Now divide the mixture equally between the ramekins/muffin tins. Place them on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes.

Using a palette knife, slide it around each pudding and turn it out. If they have risen too high, you may have to cut a slice of the top so that they can sit evenly on the plate. Now place the puddings on a shallow, swiss roll type pan.

Next, make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a saucepan and heating very gently until sugar has melted and all the crystals dissolved.

To serve puddings: Pre-heat broiler to its highest setting, and pour the sauce evenly over the puddings. Place the pan under the broiler so the tops are about 5 inches from the heat. Knock off any nuts on top to prevent them browning. Let the puddings heat through for 8 minutes. The tops will become brown and slightly crunchy and the sauce will be hot and bubbling. Serve with chilled pouring cream.

From Delia Smith's Christmas

serves/makes 12

Lamb and Date Tagine

3-4 tbsp goose fat or olive oil

2 onions, peeled and chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground allspice

1kg / 2 lb 3oz boneless leg of lamb, chopped into cubes

250g / 9oz soft dried dates, stones removed, or Medjool dates, stones removed

250ml / 9fl oz pomegranate juice

250ml / 9fl oz water

2 tsp Maldon sea salt, or 1 tsp table salt

Warm the goose fat (or oil) in a wide heavy-based pan with a lid. Add the onions and cook gently over a low heat for ten minutes, or until softened.

Add the ground cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cumin and allspice and mix well.

Turn up the heat and add the lamb, stirring often, until browned all over.

Add the dates, pomegranate juice, water and salt and bring to the boil. Cover with the lid and turn down the heat to very low to cook for two hours. (You can cook in the oven if you prefer, for two hours at 300F.)

HAROSET

1 lb dates
1 lb raisins
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup kosher for Passover red wine
chopped walnuts
cinnamon

Soak dates and raisins in water for 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse. Put in pot, cover with water (barely covered). Heat to boiling. Simmer on medium 20 minutes. Drain. Puree in food processor. Add 1/2 cup water & sugar. Heat on low 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Add wine and nuts. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Put in bowls and top with nuts and cinnamon. Refrigerate.

APPLE-COUSCOUS PUDDING

1 cup milk
1 cup apple juice
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. butter
2 inches stick cinnamon
1/4 tsp. finely grated nutmeg
1 cup couscous (can use whole wheat)
1 cup chopped, peeled tart apples
1/4 cup chopped, pitted dates

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size saucepan, combine milk, juice, honey, butter and spices. Heat just toboiling. Stir in couscous, apples and dates. Heat until bubbles appear at edges of pan. Remove cinnamon stick and turn into buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. Serve warm.
4 servings

MINI FRUITCAKES - makes 3

2 cups pecan halves
1 pkg. (8 oz.) pitted dates, cut in half crosswise
1 container (4 oz.) candied red cherries (3/4 cup)
1 container (4 oz.) candied pineapple, cut in chunks (1/2 cup)
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. bourbon

Grease well 3 small loaf pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper and grease again. Set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Thoroughly mix nuts and fruits together and set aside.
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat egg with sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in fruit-nut mixture until lightly coated with batter. Divide among pans and press down with hands moistened with water until solidly packed.

Bake on middle rack of oven for 40 minutes or until tops are dry but not brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle each cake with 1 Tbs. bourbon. Let set for 5 minutes; then loosen edges, remove loaf from pan, peel off waxed paper and turn top side up to cool. Wrap airtight. Let stand in a cool, dark spot for at least a week to develop flavor. Store in a cool place up to 3 months. Add additional bourbon if they seem to be drying out. Slice thinly with a sharp knife.

I will have to make some in her honor from your recipe. I never got her recipe if she had one.

I never saw her drink a single glass of anything alcoholic but she did use it when cooking. To this day, I add a cup of beer to the broth when making bean soup, which I learned from her.

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Ritz crackers
Almond bark (white)

Cook the milk, dates and nuts slowly until thick. Spread 1 teaspoon date mixture on each cracker. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Melt almond bark and drizzle over crackers.

Banana Date Muffins

Makes 12 muffins
Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full, or use paper cup liners instead of greasing.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until muffins test done.

1 1/2 cups sifted flour (I use 1 cup unbleached and 1/2 cup whole wheat, I never sift, but you can if you like)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup mashed bananas (that's about 3 med. ones or maybe two large ones. Measure because you don't want dry muffins with not enough banana)
1 egg
1/3 cup salad oil (I use canola for baking but other veg. oils will work too.)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz. diced dates, the fresher the better

Mix together dry ing. and wet ing. separately. Mix dates with flour so they don't clump togther. Add wet ing. to dry, mix until just combined.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 25-30 min. at 400 degrees.
Note: If your oven bakes a little hot, try lowering the temp. 375 would not be out of the question.

Thanks to all that added these yummy date recipes!

Nancy

Date, Applesauce and Almond Breakfast Loaf
(original recipe was for Figs)
Recipe by Barbara Estabrook, for "Cooking Light" magazine, October 2010.

Makes 2 8 inch loaf pans.

Struesel topping (I left this off)
2 1/2 TBSLP brown sugar
2 TBLSP all purpose flour
1 1/2 TBLSP coarsely chopped almonds
1 TBLSP chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Bread:
1 cup dried figs (or dates)
1/2 cup boiling water
Cooking spray
1 TBLSP all purpose flour
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup fat free yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp. almond extract (I used Amaretto liqueur instead)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds (no salt)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare struesel topping ingredients by mixing them together in a small bowl and setting them aside.
Spray or grease the two 8 inch loaf pans and then shake the flour around in them until very lightly coated.
Combine wet ingredients
Add flours and baking powder, soda, etc.
Drain dates and mix in
Add almonds.
Pour batter into pans, top with streusel.

Bake for 55 min. or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Not the best photo, one of my bread pans was too large.

I also got date shakes in Newport, on coast highway. I think that place was just called the "date shack".

There's no comparison between fresh dates & those that come in the boxes. Sorta like the difference between raisins purchased from Sun-Maid's Selma/Kingsburg plant & those in the cardboard boxes. Fresh dates are so creamy...like butter. Yum!

/tricia

This is my favourite date and nut loaf. I've been making it a couple of times a month lately because Moe loves it too.

More often than not I bake it in mini loaf pans but I also like it

baked in a square springform.

Topped with a little cream cheese. You can switch up the nuts as well or add coconut.

Last time I made it I used Macadamia nuts.

Date and Walnut Loaf
====================

Adapted from Kate in the Kitchen

2 1/2 cups chopped dates
1/4 cup butter
1 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted
walnuts

.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees F). Grease and flour a
9�5 inch loaf pan. (or three small loaf pans.

Combine the dates, baking soda and butter in a large bowl. Pour boiling
water over them, stir and let stand until cool.

When the dates have cooled, stir in brown sugar, egg, sour cream and
vanilla. Stir until well blended. Mix together the flour, baking
powder, and salt; stir into the date mixture until just blended. Do not
over mix. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a wooden pick
inserted into the center comes out clean.

If using mini loaf pans reduce baking time.

OPTIONAL - MY CHANGES

Add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut to the mix
Orange Zest
Bake in an 8 or 9 inch square cake pan (Springform)
Substitute Roasted Macadamia Nuts

Glaze warm cake with:

1/2 stick butter
1/8 cup of honey or agave syrup
1 tablespoon water

I'm planning to bring home dates, so this thread will be put to use! The hard part will be deciding which recipe to try first!!

Deanna

Frosty Almond Date Shake

This thick, creamy shake is a breeze to make. Just be certain that the almond milk and yogurt are truly ice cold, and the banana is frozen. Peel and halve the banana before freezing.

By Mayo Clinic staff
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
2 tablespoons warm water
2 cups vanilla almond milk, chilled
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla soy or dairy yogurt
1 very ripe banana, frozen
4 ice cubes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus extra for garnish

Directions
Put the dates in a small bowl and sprinkle with the warm water. Let soak for 5 minutes to soften, then drain.

In a blender, combine the dates, almond milk, yogurt, banana, ice cubes and the 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Blend until smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds.

Pour into tall, chilled glasses and garnish each with a dusting of nutmeg.

Lori :D

You have to soak the dates in the boiling water and then drain them before you mix them into the bread. You could easily leave that part out if you have really fresh moist dates.

I think I'm going to try making that recipe in an 8 inch square cake pan. Would be easier to incorporate the struesel topping that way, IMHO. It would make a nice coffeecake. Not sure about the baking time for that style.

But first I will have to try Ann T's version!!
:)
But date bars are on the menu ahead of that. Funny, I can take or leave dates, but BF gets all excited when I make something with dates, and that's worth it to me!