My mama never measured anything. She’d tear open a bag of dates, grab a handful of walnuts, and roll everything together while talking on the phone. I used to stand on a chair and watch her hands move. She made it look like nothing.
These aren’t fancy. They don’t photograph well. But when I bite into one, I’m eight years old in my mama’s kitchen and the whole house smells like cardamom.
What You Need
- 1 cup pitted dates (the soft kind, Medjool if you can find them)
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- Shredded coconut for rolling
That’s it. That’s the whole list.
What To Do
Put the dates and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until everything sticks together in a thick paste. If you don’t have a food processor, chop everything as fine as you can and mash it together with your hands. My mama never owned a food processor and hers were better than mine.
Scoop out small spoonfuls and roll them into balls with your palms. Roll each one in shredded coconut until it’s coated.
Put them in the fridge for twenty minutes if you can wait that long. I usually can’t.
Notes
Some people add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom. My mama did on holidays. I do it when I remember.
These keep in the fridge for a week, which is a fact I know from reading and not from experience because they have never once lasted that long in my house.
If you make these and they remind you of someone, that’s the whole point.