Date Cookies -- The Last Ordinary Night Before Everything Changed

One week. The tea cakes are made and in tins. The dress is at the church in a garment bag. The flowers are being delivered Friday morning. Tyler and I are sleeping at separate places Thursday night because Debbie said it was tradition and because Tyler decided to honor that completely including not texting after nine which is either very romantic or very challenging and maybe both.

I called Crystal Thursday evening. She is in Mobile, leaving tomorrow by bus. She asked if there was anything I needed. I said just get there. She said she would. I said I know you will. She was quiet for a moment and then she said: I am sorry for the years. She has not said that before. She has implied it, approached it, but not said it directly. I did not know what to say for a moment and then I said: I know. And I said: it is okay. Not because it was nothing. Because it is survivable and we are here and the years are behind us and what is in front of us is a church in Millbrook and a wedding and my whole life going forward. She said: okay. She said it like she understood all of what I meant. I think she did.

Last meal before the wedding: Gloria biscuits with butter, made at the kitchen table in Millbrook with Tyler at midnight, both of us in the kitchen knowing it was the last ordinary night before the big change. We did not call it that. We just sat and ate biscuits with butter at midnight and that was enough.

I keep thinking about that kitchen table at midnight—the biscuits, the butter, the quiet between Tyler and me that didn’t need filling. There was something about ending on something sweet and simple that felt right, and when I looked for a recipe to carry that feeling forward into the first week of married life, Date Cookies were the answer. They are soft and a little old-fashioned and they taste like something a grandmother would have left on the counter, and that is exactly the kind of food I wanted after a phone call with Crystal and a wedding morning just hours away.

Date Cookies

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Soften the dates. Place chopped dates in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3—4 minutes.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract and reserved date soaking liquid.
4. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Mix the dough. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in the softened dates and nuts, if using.
6. Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight, to firm the dough and deepen the flavor.
7. Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Scoop and bake. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10—12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly underdone. Do not overbake.
9. Cool. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will firm as they cool and stay soft for days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 95 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 65mg