Date Pecan Balls Food

DATE BALLS

Steps:

• Cook and stir dates, sugar, and margarine in a large saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves; remove from heat. Fold crispy rice cereal, pecans, and vanilla extract into the date mixture until evenly mixed.
• Grease your hands with margarine. Roll date mixture into 1-inch balls.
• Spread confectioners' sugar into a shallow dish; roll date balls in confectioners' sugar to coat.

DATE-PECAN BALLS

Steps:

• Cream butter with sugar in large bowl.
• Mix in vanilla.
• Stir in flour and spices.
• Add pecans and dates and mix thoroughly.
• Shape into walnut-size balls.
• Transfer to wax paper lined tray.
• Freeze 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease baking sheets.
• Arrange cookies, spacing 1 inch apart.
• Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.
• Roll in icing sugar.
• Let cool slightly.
• Roll in icing sugar again.
• Store in airtight container.

DATE PECAN BARS

Steps:

• To prepare filling, mix together dates, sugar and water in saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Allow to cool. Add pecans.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and brown sugar. Combine remaining ingredients and stir into butter mixture until well blended. Press half of the filling into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Spread with cooled filling. Cover with remaining filling mixture, patting lightly. Bake until lightly browned (approximately 25 to 30 minutes). Cool and cut into bars.

PECAN BALLS (CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix ingredients together until well blended.
• Hand form into small balls.
• Bake at 300° up to 15 minutes. (These will not brown).
• While balls are still warm, roll into powdered sugar.

DATE-NUT BALLS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir dates and white sugar in the melted butter until thick and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in crispy rice cereal and pecans. Let mixture cool until easily handled, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Form mixture into small balls using your hands.
• Pour confectioners' sugar into a resealable bag; add date-nut balls and lightly shake bag until balls are coated.

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.

DATE-PECAN BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan; place it in the pan, then butter the paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in dates and nuts.
• Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges to loosen, then cut it into bars using a serrated knife. To cut the baked dough into 18 bars, make 3 cuts horizontally and 6 cuts vertically.

PECAN-DATE CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the mustard in water; let stand for 10 minutes. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Add nutmeg and mustard mixture. Stir in cheese and dates. Chill for 15 minutes. Shape into a ball; roll in pecans. Chill. Serve with crackers.