Indio Date Walnut and Dark Chocolate Cookies

DESCRIPTION

Pack these cookies into a lunch box or picnic basket, or serve them with fresh fruit or sorbet.

Total Time
27 Mins
Serves
30
Course
Desserts

Total Time

Prep Time
15 Mins
Cook Time
12 Mins
Total Time
27 Mins

Nutrition

Calories
100 cal
Total Fat
5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1 g
Cholesterol
10 mg
Sodium
25 mg
Carbohydrates
13 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Protein
2 g

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature (do not use a reduced fat version)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 cup flour*, white whole-wheat
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1 cup dates, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup California walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips, semisweet, or semisweet chocolate, chopped

*Note: White whole-wheat flour maintains the benefits of the whole-wheat kernel, but is milled from wheat that is light in color. It is available in many supermarkets. If you cannot find it, regular whole-wheat flour may be substituted.

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl combine the margarine, honey and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
  3. Combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt (if using) and sift them together. Add to the first mixture and stir until you have a cohesive dough, with no streaks of unblended flour. Add the dates, walnuts and chocolate chips and stir to mix evenly throughout the dough. The dough will be quite stiff.
  4. Using your hands, shape the dough into walnut-sized balls and place about 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. With your fingers, press each cookie down into a disk about 2 inches across. Bake about 12 minutes, until the cookies have puffed slightly and are lightly browned around the edges. Cool for a couple minutes on the sheet; then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Form the dough and bake the remaining cookies the same way.
  5. Store in an airtight container. The cookies will keep several days at room temperature, or can be frozen for longer storage.