My paternal grandmother got this recipe from her friend, Mrs. Gould, sometime in the 1940's or 1950's.
INGREDIENTS:
3 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Milk
1 Lb. Dates, pitted and chopped, not soaked
Butter "the size of an egg"
1 Cup Nuts, chopped (My grandmother always used pecans)
Materials Needed:
1 large cast iron skillet (I use a 10 inch skillet)
1 large mixing spoon
1 glass measuring cup for liquids
1 measuring cup for dry materials
A clean dishtowel that has never been used
Aluminum foil
COOKING METHOD:
Boil sugar and milk together in a cast iron skillet.
When almost done, add dates and allow the liquid to boil up through them.
Remove skillet from fire, add butter and beat until cool.
Add nuts while beating.
Pour mixture onto wet cloth, roll into a loaf (a little bigger around than your fist), and shape into a loaf.
The loaf will be oval shaped rather than round.
Cover the loaf with aluminum foil, place it into the refrigerator and allow to stand overnight.
Remove from refrigerator, remove & discard the foil, and remove the cloth.
Slice the loaf into slices almost 1/2 inch thick and serve.
Enjoy!!!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. I suggest using any skillet that is not cast iron will work in this recipe, but not as well;
if you don't own one try your best to find one, season it according to instructions, never wash it with
bleach, and after washing it, always dry it over heat then oil it with vegetable oil and wipe it dry before
storing it for the next use.
2. The dish towel should be they type you dry dishes with, new (unused), laundered without fabric softener, and damp. My grandmother always bought cheap cloth diapers for this
purpose (not the ones that are pre-folded and have seams sewn in) and discarded the ones used for making this recipe.
3. I think ''butter the size of an egg'' is probably about a Tablespoon and a half, but I'm not sure. I just try to shape the
butter as her handwritten cookbook stated and it always works!
{From my paternal grandmother, Bennie Humphries, who got it from her friend
Mrs. Gould in the early 1940's or 1950's.}