12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 8

     This is another cookie I've been making for ages.  Another from my husband and I's first Christmas, in fact.  This one came off a box of Amport Dates.  I don't know what else to say about them other than they're probably one of the first cookies I ever made as a wife.  At the time, I could make biscuits, macaroni and cheese, fried eggs, and frozen dinners.  They're so easy even a newlywed can do it!  They freeze and ship great, too.

Oatmeal Date Cookies
12 Tbs (1-1/2 sticks) butter
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs water
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 C quick cook oats
8 oz Amport chopped dates

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease two cookie sheets

Cream butter and both sugars until fluffy.  Add egg and beat thoroughly.  Mix in water and vanilla

Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; add to the egg mixture and mix well.  Add oats and dates and mix.

Form large cookies on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until edges are done but centers are still soft.  Remove to a rack and cool.

Yield 25-30 large cookies

Review:

     These cookies are crunchy and just basically good all over.  Like an oatmeal raisin cookie without the icky raisins.  They're the reason I buy Amport dates every year.  If you don't want to search everywhere for them, it's the dates that have been chopped up and processed into little "logs" and covered with oat flour.  You can get them in bulk bins at your grocery store sometimes.  Throw in a handful of walnuts or pecans if you like.  We all need a few nuts in our lives!  Speaking of whom, check out my buddy Cara at Fork and Beans!  She's been doing a fantastic job converting these recipes for all our vegan and gluten free friends out there.