Scrumptious Orange Bites

Notes

This recipe makes about 48 cookies.

Ingredients

• 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 7 ounces pitted whole dates, chopped
• 8 Tablespoons ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

• confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together.
2. Bring dates, butter, brown sugar, orange zest and orange juice to simmer in a saucepan
3. Cook until mixture has thickened slightly and measures 2 cups, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer mixture to large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
5. Adjust oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions and heat oven to 375.
6. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Whisk eggs into cooled date mixture, 1 at a time, until combined.
8. Fold in flour mixture until just combined.
9. Fold in butterscotch chips.
10. Drop generous tablespoon-size portions of dough onto baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.
11. Bake until edges are set and beginning to brown, but centers are still soft and puffy, about 10 minutes
12. Switch and rotate sheets halfway through baking.
13. Let cookies cool on sheets 10 minutes.
14. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
15. Repeat with remaining dough using cooled, freshly lined baking sheets.
16. Lightly dust cooled cookies with confectioners sugar before serving.