Almond Date Cookies

• ½ cup coarsely chopped unblanched almonds
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 60 whole blanched almonds
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg slightly beaten
• 1 pound pitted dates, chopped
• 2 cup crispy rice cereal
• 1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur
• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate mini morsels, divided
• 2 ½ cups sweetened, flaked coconut

Heat the oven to 3250. Spread the chopped almonds and walnuts in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Empty them into a bowl. Then toast the whole blanched almonds for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

In a heavy, medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, and then add the sugar, egg, and dates. Bring to a slow boil and cook over low heat for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly thickened and the dates are cooked. Be sure to stir frequently. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Cool for 5 minutes.

Fold in the nuts, rice cereal, and Amaretto. When the date mixture is tepid, fold in ½ cup of the mini-morsels. If the mixture is too hot, the chocolate chips will melt.

Take spoonfuls of the date mixture and form into about 60 1 ¼ inch balls, Moistening your hand with ice water as needed. The batter will be sticky.

Empty one-third of the coconut into a shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Shape the balls into logs 1 inch wide by 1 ½ inches long, then roll them in the coconut as needed. Do not empty all of the coconut into the shallow dish at once, as it tends to discolor with use.

Have ready a wire rack set over a jelly roll pan. Place the remaining ¼ cup mini-morsels in a small heat-proof custard cup, and melt on medium setting in the microwave. Using a small offset spatula, spread a dab of the melted chocolate on one side of the toasted almond and press it firmly into the log. Repeat with the remaining logs. Place the logs on the wire rack to air-dry for 1 hour.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container, layered between strips of wax paper, for up to two weeks.