Best Grandmas Date Balls Xmas Cookies Recipes

GRANDMA'S DATE-FILLED COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in vanilla and eggs until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour and baking soda until well combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Dough will be soft. Divide dough into 4 pieces; flatten each piece, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until dough is firm and cold.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix Filling ingredients. Heat to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is darkened in color and thickens slightly. Pour filling mixture into small bowl; refrigerate uncovered until ready to use (mixture will thicken as it cools).
• Heat oven to 375°F. Remove 1 piece of chilled dough from refrigerator, and unwrap. On work surface generously sprinkled with flour, roll out dough with floured rolling pin to 1/8 inch thick. Using floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. In half of the rounds, cut out and remove 1-inch round or desired shape of hole from center. Place whole rounds on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Spoon 1 generous teaspoonful cooled filling onto center of each round; top with cut out dough round. With fingertips or floured fork, press edges of dough to seal. Return dough centers and leftover dough to refrigerator for rerolling.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, repeat steps on assembling and baking with each portion of refrigerated dough, refrigerated leftover dough and remaining filling.
• Cool cookies completely, about 1 hour. Store covered in airtight container.

DATE BALLS

Steps:

• Melt butter and sugar carefully.
• Add chopped dates and cook until it boils. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Add milk and salt into well beaten eggs and stir into hot date mixture.
• Boil mixture 2 minutes.
• Add vanilla and nuts.
• Let cool, then add Rice Crispies and stir.
• Butter hands, and shape into well rounded tablespoon size balls and roll in coconut.
• Store in air-tight container.

GRANDMA'S DATE BARS

Steps:

• 1. Melt shortening in a large pan. Add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• 2. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl and then add to above mixture. Stir in the nuts and dates.
• 3. Bake in a well-greased 9x13" pan in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or untl bars are a golden brown.

GRANDMA'S CRISPY DATE AND PECAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Place coconut in a shallow bowl.
• Stir sugar, margarine, and eggs together in a heavy skillet on the stove, with the burner off. Add pecans and dates. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in rice cereal and vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and quickly roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in coconut to coat and place on waxed paper to cool.

GRANDMA MARYELLEN'S CHRISTMAS DATE BALLS

Steps:

• 1. In dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot, melt butter over medium heat. Watch, don't brown. Stir in dark brown sugar and dates. Stir til melted a little. Remove from heat and add egg whisking in *QUICKLY* so you don't scramble the egg. Whisk til mixed well. Return to heat and stir constantly til boiling. Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat, add rest of ingredients, cool til cool enough to handle. Roll into balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Makes 3-4 dozen depending on size. 1 - 1 1/2" balls. Store airtight. Freezes well.

GRANDMA'S CHRISTMAS COOKIE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Stir the sifted flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat the margarine, butter and sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add one egg, and continue beating until completely incorporated; add the remaining egg along with the vanilla extract, and beat on low speed until incorporated. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Gently mix the pecans into the dough with your hands.
• Roll the dough into 1-inch balls; arrange onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden-brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. Place confectioners' sugar into a bowl, and lightly dip both sides of each warm cookie into the sugar. Tap of excess, and allow cookies to finish cooling.

COCONUT DATE BALLS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in the dates, sugar and eggs. Cook and stir over low heat for 10-15 minutes or until thermometer reads 160°. Remove from the heat; stir in the pecans, cereal and vanilla. When cool enough to handle, shape into 1-in. balls; roll in coconut. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.