Oatmeal Date-Filled Cookies

Grandma Casey’s Oatmeal Date-filled Cookies were the best. I only remember eating these at Christmas time, but things were different in the 'old days'. Grandma lived through the Great War, the Depression and Second World War. I loved listening to her stories of how they made due with very little, but how they had fun and laughed. She lived 91 years and I love her smile and happy disposition.

As I grew up and became the cookie maker, I remember my Dad saying, “Are you sure those are going to be good? I better sample it and make sure”. We would laugh and eat some dough and my Mom would just frown. These were my Dad’s favourite cookies. When I think back though, I don’t think Dad ever turned down a cookie.

The directions on my recipe card state: Put the cooking oats through a food chopper. You could also just use quick oats. I have used butter or coconut oil in place of lard, but if you render your own lard as Grandma did, the cookies taste better.


Here is the recipe for my favourite cookies.

Ingredients:
1 c. lard
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
2 c. flour
4 c. oatmeal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1/4 c. boiling water

Instructions:
Cream together lard and sugar until smooth. Add egg and milk separately. Mix well.
Add flour and cinnamon and then the baking soda with water.
Mix in the oatmeal.
Refrigerate over night. Roll out dough and cut out into cookies.

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Cool and fill with date filling.

Date Filling

2c. medjool dates
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. water

2 Drops of YL Lemon Essential Oil

Optional Swirl of YL Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil

Chop pitted dates. Combine with water and sugar in a quart saucepan. Simmer to required thickness and cool.