date balls

Date Balls

1 pound dates, diced
1 pound butter
2 c. sugar

Cook over medium heat 10 minutes, stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL. I melt the butter first, and start counting the time from when it begins to simmer after I have added the sugar and the dates.

simmer for ten minutes

Remove from heat and add:
4 c. Rice Krispies
2 c. pecans, chopped finely
4 tsp. vanilla

add rice crispies and pecans

Mix well. The mixture will be runny. It becomes firmer as it cools. As it cools, the rice crispies will absorb some of the butter and liquid.

done, but still hot

After about an hour, it will be cool enough to shape into 1-inch balls (more like pressing than rolling into balls). Excess butter will roll down your arms if you hold your hands above your elbows…I speak from experience. Keep a roll of paper towels handy.

Roll the date balls in powdered sugar.

date balls

These freeze beautifully.

date balls

To store them in the freezer, I layer them between sheets of waxed paper in a plastic container with a tight lid, using any leftover powdered sugar to sprinkle over the date balls.

~~Rhonda

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  1. By date balls | Christmas Notebook on November 19, 2009 at 9:42 pm

    […] of my favorite Christmas not-a-cookie treats are Date Balls. They are […]

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