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Crazy as a Loom

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Aunt Stell's Date Filled Cookies

I have been searching for days for the recipe for Date Filled Cookies that I got from my late Aunt Stell.
I found it in a basket of miscellaneous papers that I have been saving. I would have made them last night, except that I had an ear ache. The ear ache from hell actually.
Aren't I too old for an ear ache??? for crying out loud.
So I am off to the doctor's to make sure that I don't have an ear infection. My suspicion is that I have a trigeminal neuralgia, left over from the shingles I had last year, aggravated by the root canal I didn't need.
Oh, what a tangled web...... you get the picture.
But back to Aunt Stell.
I think if you looked up fuddy duddy in the dictionary, she would be there. She was one of a kind.
Aren't we all?
Anyway, she lived several miles outside of town, and periodically I would go there to visit.
I always secretly hoped that she would have one of two things in her kitchen.
Her one egg cake, or date filled cookies. I loved them both, and no one made them like her.
So one day, when I was a grown woman, I asked her if she would give me the recipe for the cookies.
Ayuh, she said. With a soft laugh. She didn't have it written down, but she could tell me how she made them, and I could write it down, if I wanted.
The hard part was translating her cupped hand, and her 'smidgens' and 'bits'. But I tried, and when I got it home, I got to work making them.
Oh, everyone should have a little satchel of date filled cookies to take along with them on their daily rounds. Life would be just better, if you know what I mean.
They are supreme. With a cuppa tea, nirvana.
So without further ado. I do hate ado....here it is:
Aunt Stell's Date Filled Cookies.

Date Filling
1 8oz pkg dates cut up
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Cook.
From december


Cookies
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup Crisco
1/2 cup milk with 1 tsp of baking soda in it
2 c flour with 1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
flour to roll out.
Now the dough is sticky, and you have to be VERY generous with the flour to roll it out. I usually split it in half and roll out half at a time.
Roll out dough, use cutter to make round cookies about 2.5" across
or the size you like.
Put a 'gob' of dates in the middle, put another cookie on top of it, use fork dipped in water to seal the edges. (kids love this part)
Bake at 375 degrees about 15-20 min or until lightly browned.
From december


Aunt Stell called me once, back when I was working in the ER. Said she fell. Could I come up? She thinks she did something to her arm.
When I got there, one look was all it took. My God, Aunt Stell, you broke your arm!
Off to the ER, for the Xray and then the cast.
A week or so later, she called me back. She said, can you come up?
I'm having trouble with the other arm.
You guessed it, she broke that one, too, with the same fall! When I asked her why she didn't complain about that one when she was in the ER, she looked at me like I was the dolt of the year, and said, "Well, I couldn't have casts on both arms, now could I?"
Uh, OK.
Every time I eat a date filled cookie, I remember Aunt Stell.
They are both 'one of a kind'.




14 comments:

Hilary said...

Too funny. She sounds a bit like my late Auntie Minnie who at aged 95 fell from a ladder while hanging curtains. My parents lived in the same building at the time and she dropped by mid-evening to show them the gash on the back of her head. She needed stitches. My Dad asked when it happened because it didn't look like a fresh wound. It turns out it had occurred hours earlier but first she had to finish hanging curtains, then she needed to watch her soaps, then make and eat dinner, do dishes and one more evening show. Now was the time to check it out. It took 8 stitches. She may have been related to your Aunt Stell. :)

Darlene said...

Those old gals were tough, weren't they? Guess they had to be, to make it through. We don't realize how lucky we are!

Jabberwarpy said...

Those cookies look terrific!

Valerie said...

Those are my favorite cookies ever. My mother-in-law's recipe is similar to Stell's. I never make them because I would eat them all.

BTW...I want to be Aunt Stell when I grow up (58th birthday is looming.)

Need A Latte Mom said...

oh, that is funny and I am gonna have to make those cookies.

Sueann said...

Thanks for sharing her recipe!! She definitely sounds like she was such a character.
Merry Christmas and congrats on your POTW award.
Hugs
SueAnn

Tabor said...

Congrats on your POTW...so glad I took the time to read this. Original characters are the best.

Maria said...

She sounds like quite a character. Lovely memories....

Out on the prairie said...

What a lovely story, I have a "Aunt Stella" next door to me. I am nursing her today with the flu, she had a medical question about how she felt and wondered if she should call the ER or 911.At 75 she never had a TV because her father didn't like them, but gave in 3 years ago when I gave her one.These are the people that make my life full. I am going to make these bits of love today.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

They don't make 'em like Aunt Stell anymore. Great post. Congratulations on POTW.

Joanna Jenkins said...

What a great story, and great looking cookies. Your Aunt is a hoot. She must have been terrific to spend time with.
Congrats on your POTW from Hilary!
Merry Christmas, jj

CiCi said...

The cookies look wonderful. Dates are one of my favorite foods. I grew up in southern California and would get date shakes there. I like cut up dates in my oatmeal. Thanks for sharing the recipe.Congrats on your POTW.

Anonymous said...

She sounds wonderful and so do the cookies :)

Cheryl Kohan said...

What a great post...Congratulations on POTW! The cookies look awesome..I love dates. And your Aunt Stell was quite the lady, wasn't she? Wonderful.

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