Do Butter-Infused Dates Really Taste Like Cookie Dough?

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Throughout my childhood, the scent of cookies baking in the oven often led me to sneak a taste of the edible cookie dough. Even now, I find it hard to resist that sweet, tempting flavor every time I think about helping out in the kitchen. Sadly, as an adult living on my own, health concerns related to raw eggs and flour, along with the cost of these ingredients, keep me from indulging in copious amounts of cookie dough as I once did. To satisfy that yearning for something similar, I decided to explore a growing trend on social media: dates stuffed with butter and sprinkled with salt.

If you’ve frequented food content on platforms like TikTok or Instagram lately, you’ve likely come across this three-ingredient snack that claims to echo the flavor of cookie dough. The simplicity of the recipe piques interest, especially for those seeking healthier alternatives to refined sugars or gluten-filled treats.

But does this snack genuinely deliver the same satisfaction as raw cookie dough? I set out to discover the truth.

Do dates with butter and salt taste like cookie dough?

The brief response is “sort of.” While a date stuffed with butter and salt doesn’t replicate cookie dough precisely, it surprisingly comes closer than anticipated. A Medjool date, known for its plumpness and caramel-like sweetness, provides a texture reminiscent of cookie dough. Even though it has a slight fibrous quality, biting into a date evokes a similar experience to indulging in dense dough.

The graininess of a date coupled with its natural sweetness can mimic the sensation of brown sugar, providing the nostalgic taste associated with cookie dough. The addition of rich butter is vital; it offsets the sweetness of the date, offering a luxurious taste akin to that of brown butter found in decadent chocolate chip cookies.

Do not overlook the vital role of salt in this concoction, as it elevates the overall flavor by creating an extraordinary balance. When combined, these elements yield a rich, sweet, and slightly salty experience that somewhat fulfills the cravings for cookie dough. While it may not completely replace those cravings, it serves as a more sensible and health-conscious alternative.

How do you make this snack?

To prepare this delightful treat, start with Medjool dates, celebrated for their size and softness, both crucial in creating a cookie dough-inspired snack. You can choose to purchase dates with the pits removed or pit them yourself. For those pits, slit the date open carefully without cutting it through, keeping one side intact to form a pocket.

Then, cut a small piece of cold, unsalted butter and insert it into the opening of the date. Finish it off with a sprinkle of salt. Many enthusiasts recommend using flaky sea salt for a gourmet touch, though regular kosher salt is perfectly suitable as well. Be liberal with the salt to balance the date’s intense sweetness. If you only have salted butter, just reduce the additional salt you apply afterward.

For a dairy-free option, cultured vegan butter serves as an excellent substitute. Alternatively, coconut oil can be used if kept cool enough to maintain its solid form, though it won’t offer the same tangy profile as dairy butter.

How you can customize this treat

While this recipe stands strong with just three components, there’s room for creativity and personal flair. A popular addition is chocolate chips, which not only echo the flavor of chocolate chip cookie dough but also add delightful texture. Bittersweet chocolate chips are ideal due to the date’s inherent sweetness.

For an oatmeal cookie-inspired variant, a dash of cinnamon can be added, or even a spoonful of your favorite nut butter to enhance the flavor. Just make sure to place the cinnamon beneath the butter within the date to avoid any loose cinnamon mishaps, and keep the quantity in check to prevent overpowering flavors. If you go the nut butter route, slightly decrease the amount of butter to avoid an overly rich treat.

Additionally, the combination of dates, chocolate, peanut butter, and a hint of salt creates a sweet blend reminiscent of a Snickers bar, suggesting further delicious possibilities for utilizing dates in your kitchen.

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www.foodandwine.com