Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

old fashioned date nut cookies

Recipe by
Nor Mac
Northern, MA

Originally this was my aunt Alice's recipe. The recipe had a slight Make over. The original recipe calls for all vegetable shortening. I changed it to half butter. I also made a few minor adjustments. I hadn't had these cookies in years. I love date nut cookies. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.

yield 4 dozen
prep time 15 Min
cook time 15 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For old fashioned date nut cookies

  • FILLING
  • 2 c
    chopped dates ( 10 ounces)
  • 1/2 c
    granulated white digar
  • 2/3 c
    water
  • 1/2 Tbsp
    orange zest
  • 1/2 c
    chopped walnuts
  • COOKIE DOUGH
  • 1/2 c
    vegetable shortening ( crisco)
  • 1/2 c
    softened butter
  • 2 c
    light brown sugar packed
  • 3
    eggs
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla
  • 3 c
    all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    baking soda
  • 1 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp
    cinnamon
  • 1/2 c
    chopped walnuts

How To Make old fashioned date nut cookies

  • 1
    Make the filling. Shop the dates. I use a food processor to chop.
  • 2
    In a large sauce pan add the dates, granulated sugar, orange zest, and 2/3 cup of water. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Continue cooking until mixture is very thick and boiled down to a paste. Remove from heat. empty into a bowl and refrigerate until cool. Mix in the walnuts after it cools.
  • 3
    Make the dough: In a bowl. Cream shortening and butter together on low speed with a mixer. Add in the brown sugar and mix well on low speed.
  • 4
    In another bowl. Mix together eggs, and vanilla. Add this mixture to the butter sugar mixture. Beat well.
  • 5
    In another bowl sift the flour baking soda, cinnamon and salt together . Add this to the creamed butter mixture. Add 1/2 cup chopped walnut's. Stir to combine.
  • 6
    Mix well By hand. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes to give it more stiffness. Heat oven to 350°. Parchment line a sheet pan, Or you may lightly grease a sheet pan.
  • 7
    in teaspoon size amounts. Make each in to a ball. Top each cookie with a teaspoon of date filling in center of ball. Push filling down into cookie . Place in oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool move to rack to cool completely.
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