Date and Nut Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup shortening (I use butter)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups nuts, chopped
• 2 cups dates, pitted and chopped
• grated rind of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together 2/3 cup of shortening and 1 cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add 2 eggs to the mixture and cream further until well combined.
4. Stir in 2 cups of chopped nuts, 2 cups of pitted and chopped dates, the grated rind of 1 orange, and 2 tablespoons of orange juice until everything is evenly mixed.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of clove, and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice.
6. Gradually add the sifted mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring just until combined; be careful not to overmix.
7. Using a teaspoon, drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto silpat lined baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
9. Once baked, let the cookies cool slightly on the sheets before transferring them to an airtight container. To keep them soft, store with a couple of wedges of apple or refrigerate the dough to bake on-demand.