Margaret has been making these every Christmas for over 30 years! She wrote this easy recipe down for me before we left.

I haven’t posted in a while which I’m a bit sad about because I cooked so much over the holidays but I just didn’t have the time during that time to post the recipes here , then back to work – but I’m now ready to play catch up! This was my favorite easy recipe discovery over the holidays and the best part is that it is a 30 + year old recipe yet, it is so modern with everyone cooking raw and vegan now a days (use coconut oil instead of butter , almond milk with a pinch of cornstarch instead of eggs if you eat Vegan). Margaret said she has made them every Christmas for the last 30 years and wrote down the recipe for me on a piece of scratch paper. She retired in Palm Desert and brought the dates from the famous Coachella Valley. What I really love about this recipe is you could get creative so easily by replacing the dates with dried cherries or apricots or by adding rum or orange liqueur instead of vanilla. Lots of delicious possibilities!

A great restored, historical find in Venice, California on VRBO by my friends coming to visit for the holidays from Montreal.

My sister’s bestie and our dear friends who I have known since I was a little girl came form Montreal and rented a lovingly restored historical house in Venice right off of Abbot Kinney that was built in 1907. We spent Christmas Eve with them and all cooked up a storm and sang Christmas Carols since we all sang in choir and Cathy works as a Musical Director. Cathy’s mother Margaret and Cathy’s son Patrick made these. My son has Celiac so he has to eat gluten free and we were so happy when we realized that these were indeed a gluten free recipe especially because they were so sweet and delicious. And, they are so easy to make. 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2/3 Cup Sugar (or Stevia or Agave if you’re sugar-free)
• 1 1/2 Cup Pitted, Chopped and Smashed Dates (this is important, really go to town and smash the heck out of them or as an alternative use Date Paste if you can find it).
• 2 Tablespoons Pasteurized Egg product (I don’t like to use raw eggs when I’m not cooking them.)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 Cup Rice Crispies type Cereal
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut

Delicious, gluten free date balls are a perfect holiday or party dessert. Much more exciting than my photography skills on this one.

Melt the butter and sugar together in a pan. Add the dates and really smash them in until they are more of a paste and less chunky. Remove and cool a little. Add the cereal, egg and vanilla and mix thorough. With clean hands, roll into little balls and roll in coconut. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Delish!