Date Pecan Caps Recipe

By
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is the former national editor at Serious Eats, with a focus on all things sweet.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated August 30, 2018
20120507-cookie-monster-pecan-date-caps.JPG
Carrie Vasios

In these unique cookies, a sweet cream cheese dough is topped by a chewy, light pecan-date meringue.

Recipe Details

Date Pecan Caps Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 45 mins
Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for buttering muffin tins
  • 1 cup (about 5 ounces) flour
  • 1 cup dates, pitted
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup (about 7 ounces) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, separated

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter two 12-cup mini-muffin tins.

  2. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter with a wooden spoon until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour until combined. Using floured hands (dough will be sticky) divide dough among muffin cups, pressing down on bottom and sides of dough to create shells. Let chill in refrigerator while making filling.

  3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine dates, pecans, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolks. Pulse until almost smooth; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into date mixture.

  4. Fill each cup 2/3 way full with date mixture. Bake until caps are golden and tops have puffed and darkened, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Special equipment

electric beater, food processor, mini-muffin tin

This Recipe Appears In

More Serious Eats Recipes