Monday 1 April 2013

Ragged Robins



Elderly cakers love dates. Maybe it’s because dates are high in fibre. Or the chewiness helps seniors exercise their jaw muscles. But I think the real reason is because when the elderly see a date, they think it's chocolate.

In any case, head to any mall food court catering to an over-80 set and you’ll find crowds of white-haired folks, washing down date squares, date loaves and date turnovers with cups of bad coffee and saying, “Begya pardon?” a lot.

If you have any elderly cakers in your life, these Ragged Robins will be as welcome as a Lawrence Welk rerun. That’s because they have dates. And walnuts. (Don’t even get me started on how much the elderly love walnuts). They also have cornflakes, which I guess is where the “ragged” part comes in. While the elderly might appreciate that little bit o’ crunch, I could’ve done without the cornflakes. And the dates.

Just don’t tell my food court friends.

PS – These look like bird poop, which must be where the "robin" part comes in.

Beat 2 egg whites until they stand up in peaks then gradually beat in ½ cup fine granulated white sugar, beating between additions.
Add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sliced, pitted dates
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 ½ cups crisp Corn Flakes
Mix lightly together and drop by small spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a moderate oven at 350° until firm and lightly browned.

Source: What’s Cooking Trinity United Church


10 comments:

  1. They do look like bird poop. I think I'd serve them alongside Painful Turds. You know, so the food has kind of a theme.
    If I were to ever make these, I think I'd substitute chocolate chips for the dates. Because why eat dates if you don't have to?

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    1. I agree, veg-o-matic. I'd swap out the dates for chocolate chips. Only problem is they wouldn't have much fibre. Speaking of pooping, I thought about officially renaming these "Bird Droppings" and serving them on a sheet of newspaper. It's that attention to detail makes all the difference.

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  2. and ginger ale, they love ginger ale.

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    1. Seniors certainly do. Especially if the ginger ale is lukewarm and served with one of those bendy straws. They're also partial to Rum 'n Raisin ice cream.

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  3. Gasp! Elderly cakers love dates! Oh my, I'm insulted on behalf of my beloved mother. She made date squares in her 20's for the family and I liked the oatmeal part and tolerated the dates. You've gone too far today, Young Man!


    *removes dentures*

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    1. Be careful you don't get any bits of date stuck in those dentures. It can lead to some awkward moments in the food court. I'm speaking from experience here.

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  4. I call foul - that seems like a pretty wholesome recipe. Natural sugars, fibre, protein ... somebody call the Urban Herbivore! A diet replacement for their 1000 calorie muffin has been found!

    P.S. My grandfather's favourite birthday cake was chocolate with a date filling. With a good hunk of K-W summer sausage on the side.

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    Replies
    1. You know, Jane, I'm still holding out hope that Chocolate Date Sausage cake will find the wider audience it so richly deserves.

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  5. I think these sound divine, and I love dates, and I'm not a senior

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    1. Sparkina, I think you should start up a group: The Non-Senior Date Appreciation Club. Who knows? There may be hundreds of young date lovers out there.

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