Date balls are simple to make and require no baking. For those of you who havent eaten dates before, or are not mad about the idea of eating them, I can assure you that these delightfully sweet balls of boiled dates, butter, sugar, and biscuit encased in coconut, are little tastes of heaven.
I love the fact that the dates and the coconut come from the beautiful Palms grown in Africa. Coconut Palms are found growing throughout the tropics and are in abundance on the Mozambique coastline and the Bazaruto Archipelago, one of our favorite holiday destinations.
Dates are the fruit of the Desert Palm tree and are found growing in the desert and around oases in Morocco and Egypt, as well as the Middle East, where they are described as "the tree of Life". Unlike other trees, a date palm yields more fruit as it gets older.
Melt the butter and sugar until all the sugar is dissolved and then cool slightly before adding the egg. Whisk in the egg quickly so that it doesnt start cooking in the mixture because then you will get a scrambled egg mixture . Add the dates and return the mixture to the stove. Keep stirring until all the dates have cooked into the buttery mixture. Add vanilla. Cool slightly and only then add the crushed biscuits. Roll the mixture into balls with your hands and drop into a bowl of dessicated coconut. These can be stored for weeks in a sealed container.