Christmas Treat #4: Date Nut Balls

I just love dates.  I'm not sure where this came from, but this time of year I am delighted to easily find them in the store and I am on my 3rd box already.  I enjoy them chopped up in cereal or oatmeal, straight when I need a sweet fix without candy, and my go to appetizer this fall is Blue Cheese stuffed Dates wrapped in Bacon.  You yeah - go ahead and imagine what that tastes like - but don't wait long if there is a plate of them around, because they go fast!

This is another treat out of the Grandma Heuermann book of recipes.  I googled "date ball recipes" to determine if I wanted to make a change and most recipes are pretty similar.  I really enjoy these and one of them totally takes care of me when it comes to sweets.  But hey, a combination of dates and coconut, do we expect them to be anything less than great?!!?

Date Nut Balls - Thanks to Grandma H
1 cup sugar
1/4 lb butter
1 cup dates, cut up
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups puffed rice cereal (I use Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)
Enough Coconut, in which to roll balls. 

Mix sugar, butter, dates and egg in a nonreactive saucepan.  Cook for 10 minutes on low and stir constantly.  Cool.  Add almond extract, cereal and nuts. 

Form into small balls and roll in coconut.  I used a small sized cookie scoop to form the balls and drop in the coconut.  It worked perfectly without the messy hands! 

Notes: I use sweetened coconut, only because I can't get unsweetened locally, but it's on my list for Salt Lake City and I think these would be great with unrefined sugar and unsweetened coconut.

I am becoming a big fan of having many sizes of cookie scoops, they can be used for so many great things not only cookies, but candy, melon balls, etc.  They aren't cheap, but fast becoming an essential kitchen utensil for me!