Chewy Sticky Date Cookies

A friend of mine asked for my help the other day, to either find, create or tweak a recipe for a chewy Sticky date cookie. After a little bit of research I found exactly what I was looking for. I made a few tweaks and the results were just unreal.

It was funny to recieve this request only a day or two after my visit to "Down to Earth" where I found whole dates and couldn't walk past them without buying a few. I dont normally keep dates in the house like this, so it was a really lucky coinsidence. And I was thinking of doing a sticky toffee cupcake, but I tell you what, the cookies worked just a treat! The recipe follows.

Chewy Sticky Date Cookies

Prep time:- 10 mins; Cook time:- 16 mins

Makes approx 24 cookies

1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup chopped dates, lightly dusted in flour

  

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C.)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg; mix well. 

In a seperate bowl, sift the flours & baking powder together. Then add the lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Lightly coat dates in flour before stiring into mixture. This enables the dates to mix evenly through the mixture, without large clumps sticking together.

Line trays with parchment paper as shown in pictures. 

Drop by rounded teaspoonsfull 2 in. apart onto lined trays. Bake for 13-16 minutes or until lightly golden on top, and toasty brown on the bottom. Leave on trays for 5 mins to cool, before moving to wire racks to cool completely. Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

 Enjoy!

The batter should appear smooth and sticky as pictured

  

Place small amounts of cookie batter in corners of tray..

...batter will act as a glue and hold the parchment paper down and stop it from rolling up.

Place batter approx 1.5 - 2 inches apart.

I used two teaspoons, one to scoop, the other to scrape.

Tray of cookies ready for the oven.

The finished product.

golden on top, toasty brown on the bottom.

After 5 minutes of cooling in the tray, place on wire racks to completely cool.

Inside the cookie, lovely, chewy & fluffy texture.