dating myself

Coconut date balls. When did I stop being a hip young person?*

*Spoiler alert: I was never hip.

It just doesn't seem like that long ago that I was driving to high school myself, and now one of my main activities is watching the neighborhood drama unfold around all of the high schoolers who are parking on our street and walking through yards to get to the campus. I don't go so far as to shake my fist at the teenagers, but I do feel like they should be more considerate--zooming down a residential street where kids and dogs walk is not cool and blaring music at 6:30 in the morning is just plain rude.

Yep, I'm well on my way to becoming an old fogey.

You'll be happy to hear that this post is about a different kind of dating. This is the one where chopped dates get cooked down with butter and sugar and molded into delicious balls that are then rolled in coconut. Yeah, that's a much better way to date oneself.

These balls were part of my edible treats to hand out this Christmas, and once again, I snuck a few for myself. They're just so ooey-gooey, but with a crunch from the rice cereal and a tickle from the coconut coating. If I hadn't made them myself, I would've had no idea that dates were involved; I would've assumed it was a ball of caramel. It tastes as good as that would, but with far less precision required!

Faux Caramel Balls
(printable recipe)
Makes about 3 dozen balls
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 ounces chopped dates
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• Pinch salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2-1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:
In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
Stir in the dates, sugar, salt, and eggs and cook and stir over low heat for 10-15 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cereal and vanilla.
When cool enough to handle and quite thick, shape into 1-inch balls and roll in coconut.
Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.
Store in the refrigerator.