Date Rocks

Remember those trips across the alley, through the Idzorek ‘s back yard, (which always made me feel like a trespasser) and across the street to Elsie and Roy’s house? Open the door and smell— coffee. How did such weak coffee manage to smell so good? Elsie would send you to the kitchen so you could help yourself from one of her cookie tins or Tupperware containers—usually there were rocks inside; I loved those date cookies.

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup Crisco (I’d use margarine instead)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp. soda dissolved with 1 1/2 T. hot water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour (mix nuts and dates in with the flour before adding to batter)

1 package pitted dates, chopped

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Cream butter and shortening (or margarine) with sugar; Beat in egg yolks, baking soda mixture, salt and vanilla. Stir in flour mixed with dates and walnuts. Beat egg whites till stiff and fold into dough. Drop from a teaspoon onto cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes.