Only recently did I discover how awesome dates are! I like eating them fresh, and they also add such a unique flavor and texture to any recipe. I especially love the subtle caramel-like sweetness they offer, and including dates in a recipe makes an excellent all-natural sugar alternative or allows you to reduce the amount of sugar needed.  

There’s more to dates than just their flavor profile. Dates are high in fiber and contain powerful antioxidants called polyphenols, which are found only in plants. They’re also a great source of many minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium and potassium.

You’re guaranteed to enjoy dates baked into these delicious, gooey cookies. Who wouldn’t when they‘re combined with rum, right?!

Enjoy!

Yield: 26 cookies

Ingredients

15 ounces (425 grams) pitted dates

2 Tbsp dark rum

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cardamon

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Flakey sea salt to sprinkle

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven on 340F/170C.

2. Finely mince the pitted dates, then mix them evenly with dark rum (the minced dates are really sticky so you may need to use your hands to work this). Let soak for 10 min.

3. Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk melted unsalted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Then whisk in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth again.

4 . Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground allspice, ground cardamon and freshly grated nutmeg directly into the bowl, then mix all the ingredients into a dough with a spatula.

5. Add the run-soaked dates, then fold again until evenly incorporated (again, the dates are sticky so break them up with the spatula).

6. Line the baking-sheet with parchment, then scoop about a heaping tbsp of dough on top with 3" (8 cm) of space in between each. Use your fingers to press each cookie-dough flat to about 1/4" (0.5 cm) thick (you can dab your fingers with a bit of vegetable oil to prevent sticking). Sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt on each, then bake in the oven for 10~11 min (the cookies should feel quite soft when they're warm).

7. Let cool on the baking-sheet for 5 min, then transfer to a cooling-rack.

Notes: The weight of the dates is measured without pits.

This recipe is courtesy of Mandy at Lady and Pups. Thanks!