Description:
Our take on this classic 20th-century recipe for drop cookies uses naturally sweet dates as a filling and is an excellent alternative to date bars or other kinds of filled cookies or turnovers, as drop cookies are much easier to prepare and bake. Keep in an air-tight container for up to a week. These date cookies are as pretty as they are delicious. The dates make the filling for these wonderful brown sugar drop cookies.
Date filled drop cookies
Known as "nature's candy," dates are a wonderful source of nutrition, from vitamins and minerals to outstanding levels of dietary fiber. Although not low in calories, dates are a great replacement for sugar, as their natural flavor can help cut back the amounts of other sugars needed in a recipe. Our take on this classic 20th-century recipe for drop cookies uses naturally sweet dates as a filling and is an excellent alternative to date bars or other kinds of filled cookies or turnovers, as drop cookies are much easier to prepare and bake. Keep in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Put the filling ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the date mixture is thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set the date filling aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy with the help of an electric mixer. Add the egg, water, and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a spoon or whisk to blend.
Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until the dough is smooth, malleable, and well blended.
Using a teaspoon, drop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the date mixture on the top of each drop cookie and then place a small dab of cookie dough on top of the date mixture to "close" the cookie.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove the cookies to racks to cool completely.