220 date recipes

Vegetarian mincemeat made with fresh pears, dried fruit, candied cherries, almonds, and a splash of whiskey. No suet needed. Spiced with allspice, nutmeg, and ginger for traditional Christmas mince pies.

Banana nut bread made with whole wheat and white flours, ginger and mace, plus chopped pecans and dates folded in. A spiced, fruit-and-nut-loaded quick bread that's denser and more interesting than the standard.

Traditional poppy seed kolache with a buttery almond dough and homemade filling of poppy seeds, honey, dates, and nuts. A Czech-style pastry that makes 60 pieces.

Orange slice fruitcake with candied orange, pecans, dates, and coconut in a buttermilk batter. Baked low and slow, then soaked with a citrus butter glaze.

Fruitcake drop cookies with brandy, candied cherries, dates, candied pineapple, and nuts. All the holiday fruitcake flavor in a bite-sized cookie that bakes in 12 minutes.

Health muffins built on a four-flour mix of whole wheat, rye, soy, and wheat germ, packed with chopped dates and nuts. A hearty, fiber-rich breakfast muffin with deep, malty flavor.

Whole wheat carrot spice bread with oats, dates, and warm cinnamon-ginger spice. A hearty, low-fat quick bread made with applesauce and egg whites instead of butter or oil.

Tart de Brymlent is a medieval Lenten tart of salmon baked with spiced apples, pears, and dried fruits in a pastry shell. A genuine old English sweet-savory recipe for history buffs and adventurous cooks.

This relish is based on a prize-winning English recipe of more than a generation ago. It is less sweet than traditional chutneys; most of its sweetness comes not from sugar, but from apples, dates, and parsnips. I generally use Winesap apples but any well-flavored, crisp eating apple will do.

Rich chocolate date cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts baked in a 9x13 pan. The dates keep it incredibly moist while cocoa adds deep chocolate flavor.

Old-fashioned hermit cookies spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, stuffed with raisins, dates, and walnuts. Soft and chewy from sour cream, topped with a whole walnut. A New England cookie jar staple.

Moist avocado loaf studded with dates, raisins, and walnuts, enriched with cocoa and warm spices, then topped with broiled pecans. A unique quick bread that'll have everyone guessing the secret ingredient.

Buttery spritz cookie bars filled with a date, candied cherry, and nut filling flavored with orange zest. Pressed through a cookie press and cut into bars.

Festive holiday fruitcake loaded with pecans, candied pineapple, dates, golden raisins, and candied citrus peel. Laced with orange liqueur and aged up to three weeks.

Baked granola gorp trail mix with chow mein noodles, peanuts, dried apricots, raisins, and chocolate chips. Crunchy, sweet, salty, and totally customizable.

Rich no-bake fruitcake loaded with dates, candied fruit, cherries, nuts, and marshmallows in a spiced whipped cream base. No oven needed for this easy holiday classic.