Sorry, I'm already hitched. But as far as your dates go, I would toss them out and buy fresh ones. I bake a lot of date & nut bread and have found that the fresher the dates, the better the taste.

I'd soak them in some brandy....or apple juice or orange juice. You may find that thea ddition of another flavor enhances them. Dry dates do not change flavor so much as texture....

I'd save them for something less fabulous. Ricky's right. They're different when they're dried out and macerating them will change the cookie--even soaking in plain water won't make them the same as fresh. OTOH, I wouldn't hesitate to macerate them and put them in some kind of sweet and savory dish, or in a quickbread. They'd also be good as is where there's liquid to be soaked up like fruitcake that's getting the daily booze treatment, or baklava with its butter and thinned honey. Or in a brittle, where you really want them dried out a bit. But not so much a fabulous cookie where the imperfections are more likely to show.

I recently "moistened" up some dried apricots that had become hard and dry. Poured very hot water over them, let them sit for just a few minutes, then dried them thoroughly and put them back in tight plastic box.

Dates are not that expensive, so experiment. I like the idea of using orange juice. And in the future, only buy Medjool dates. They're in season right now and they are the fattest, juiciest most delicious date ever.

I order dates from Shields in Indio, or else buy them there in person. The last ones I got at the farmers' market at bugs in them, and so I won't buy them there again. I like the Barhi dates the best. I store them tightly sealed in the refrigerator.

I used my brandied dried out dates in a fruit cake....very yummy!

Oh yeah....and I am older than you!!
Oh yeah....talk about fruit cakes....:-((

Recipe please I have a large quantity of dates I need to use.....

SuzyQ -- here you go:

DATE NUGGETS

Sift: 2 c. flour

1/4 teasp. baking soda

pinch of salt

Cream: 2 sticks unsalted butter

3/4 c. white sugar + 1/4 teasp. cinnamon

1 1/2 teasp. vanilla

Add: flour mix in 2 batches

Stir in: 1/2 c. finely chopped dates

1/2 c. pecans, lightly toasted and finely chopped

Chill 2 hours or overnight.

OVEN: 350*

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll level teaspoons of dough into balls, place 2" apart.

Bake: 10-12 minutes til set and lightly golden.

Cool 5 minutes then roll in sifted confectioner's sugar.

Let cool completely. Store between layers of waxed paper or parchment in airtight container. Freezes well for make-ahead.

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These are a delicious, unusual, delicate but chewy cookie -- flavor is subtle. I find them extremely difficult to resist! At first, they might not seem too exciting, but they shortly become addictive. (I don't always share these nicely, lol)

Hope you make and enjoy these! I also have a yummy recipe for a rich date "pudding" (more like a cake, if I recall) that my mother used to make. Recipe for that is at least 60 years old... Let me know if you'd like it as well.

Thanks for the recipe! Baking these this afternoon. I just happen to have an excess amount of pitted dates in the pantry.

Roxanna, I would like the recipe for the Date Pudding, please.

Sure, here it is:

"Mrs. Poindexter's" Date Pudding

Start oven at once: 300* Grease 9" pan.

Sift together and measure: 1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 teasp baking powder

1/4 teasp salt

Mix into flour mixture: 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Cut: 1 package dates (no size given, sorry) into small pieces

Mix: 1 teasp baking soda into cut dates, then pour 1 cup boiling water over. Let stand.

Cream: 1/4 cup butter til soft and light. Then add 1 cup sugar gradually until very fluffy.

Add: 1 egg, beat well.

Combine flour and butter mixtures thoroughly.

Stir in dates.

Pour into prepared pa.

Bake: 1 hour. Cool on rack. Cut into 9-12 squares.

VERY rich!! Serve with real whipped cream and coffee.

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Enjoy!

Good cookie! I had to add an egg as the dough was too crumbly to stick together and I could easily have added another cup of dates. (I love dates!)

I buy dates in three pound packages - I'm pretty sure that's not what the pudding recipe means. My guess is that it is 12 oz or 16 oz. I would start with 12 oz and add more if needed.

LOL, Lars -- that sounds about right. Sometimes these old recipes are not as detailed as we would wish, I imagine my mother had access to "regular" packages of dates, back in the day...

Ricky -- glad you managed to get a good-tasting cookie. Odd about having to add an egg - my recipe does not - but great save on your part! Think I'll be making them this weekend. Just hope I don't succumb to their siren song...

Thanks, Roxanna! Both recipes look really good. I want to try the pudding now, and I have way too much work to do. Be sure I'll get back to it. I was thinking that a package of dates was probably a half pint, but I haven't looked at the other quantities well enough to think through what the recipe might want (way too tired!) and am just going on the thought that that's the way they used to be commonly sold in standard grocery stores. I don't fear interpretation when it comes time to make the recipe. :) Thanks, again!

Dried up old dates, am I the only one who steam them to rejuvenate them?

dcarch

dcarch7 -- that's what I originally wondered. I presume this works for you? Guess I'll do a test: make one batch with old dates/newly steamed and another with some new dates. Thanks!