Mom used to stir these up, and the aroma of the brown sugar and cooked dates made the house smell divine. A really moist, chewy cookie.
1 C. margarine or butter, softened
2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
Filling:
2 C. chopped dates
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. water
Preheat the oven to 375º. For the dough, cream the margarine/butter with the sugar, then add the buttermilk and the dry ingredients. Set aside and make the filling: place the dates, sugar and water in a medium pan on the stove and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. To form each cookie, drop 1 T. dough, spread slightly with the back of the spoon, then drop on a tsp. of the filling and top with another tsp. of dough. Bake 10 minutes, or until firm. Cool a minute or so on the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely. About 4 dozen.
Kitchen Hint: Don’t have buttermilk? Measure 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup and then pour the milk to the 1/2 C. mark. Stir and let it sit until it thickens.