Need a date?

Maybe you do if you are looking for a delicious way to add a burst of energy, vitamins, and minerals to your diet.

I’m talking about the fruit of the date palm, of course. Hundreds of varieties of dates grow in tropical climates around the world, but chances are it is the tender, softer, deep brown Medjool or the semi-dry Deglet Noor dates that you easily find in American markets, and most likely, in the dried form.

That’s okay. Dried dates are power-packed missiles of health, though those who must watch their sugar intake should be cautious, as dates are also packed full of natural sugars. Judicious intake of dates is also recommended for anyone watching their calories, as a large date can have around 50 calories.

But along with the sugar and calories, three and a half ounces provides 20 percent of the recommended daily intake for potassium, 14 percent of magnesium, 18 percent of copper, 15 percent of manganese, 12 percent of vitamin B6, and 5 percent of the RDI of iron. What’s so great about these minerals? Potassium and magnesium are important for nerve, muscle, and heart health, plus magnesium helps control blood sugar; manganese helps with metabolism of cholesterol and carbohydrates, as well as digestion; copper energizes the nervous and immune systems; and B6 and iron play a big part in red blood cell production. They all work together to contribute to good health. This tasty little fruit is a high-fiber food, as well as a source of antioxidants, including the flavonoids that reduce inflammation in the body.

Dates have been harvested and used in diets for thousands of years, though it took until the 1800s for them to reach America. By the early to mid-1900s, date farms had been established in California, and that is where most of our — mainly Deglet Noor — domestic dates hail from today. Other dates are commonly shipped from sources in the Middle East and Africa.

Desserts and quick breads are a good place to add this fruit to your repertoire. Turn an ordinary oatmeal cookie into a delight when dates and walnuts replace raisins — and don’t forget to add some chopped dates to your oatmeal. Whip up a smoothie of bananas, orange juice, soy or almond milk, and dates in the blender for a drink that goes down… well, smoothly.

Savory dishes can meld nicely with dates: coarsely chopped dates stirred into a chick pea and tomato curry; caramelized shallots added to cooked wild or brown rice, along with chopped dates makes a plain side dish special. Toasted walnuts and chopped dates on a baby kale salad with a yogurt lemon dressing… Use your imagination. If your head says, “Why not?” it’s likely your taste buds will say, “Yes!”

My Aunt Helen’s date-filled cookies, always a staple during her marathon Christmas cookie baking sessions, were all it took to convince me that dates could elevate a plain flavor into something extraordinary. She always referred to them as “pregnant cookies” and a mound of date filling sandwiched between two sugar cookie rounds does indeed give the appearance of a baby bump!

These cookies have thus been always on my list of holiday cookies that must be made. The memories generated every time I bite into one make a date with this recipe one I want to keep.

Aunt Helen’s Pregnant Cookies

1 C diced pitted Deglet Noor dates (dust with small amount of flour to aid cutting)

½ C diced pitted Medjool dates (dust with small amount of flour to aid cutting)

½ C raisins

2 tsp lemon juice

¾ C apple cider or orange juice

Pinch of salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking and stirring until dates have formed a mostly smooth, thick, spoonable paste. Set aside to cool.

The dough is based on the Rich Rolled Sugar Cookies in The Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Beat on medium speed til fluffy:

½ lb unsalted butter, softened

2/3 C sugar

Beat in:

1 large egg

¼ tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1½ tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, stir together 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.

Stir flours into other dough ingredients till smooth.

Divide the dough into three pieces, placing each piece between two pieces of wax paper. Roll out very thin, no more than 1/8 inch. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate about 30 minutes. Take out one piece of rolled dough and remove top piece of wax paper gently. Flip the dough onto a greased cookie pan (or use a silicon baking mat) and gently peel off second piece of wax paper. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out an even number of cookies. (The dough scraps can be rolled out again between waxed paper and refrigerated. Then roll and cut out a couple more circles; or use it for other cut cookie shapes; or, one of my favorites, roll out, cut in slices, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar before baking.)

Repeat with the other pieces of dough.

Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on half of the circles. Gently lift the other pieces and top the cookie filling. Press around the edges with fork tines to enclose the filling, then use a fork to pierce a cross on top.

It should make 12 to 18 cookies.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, turning once, until light golden in color. Remove and cool on rack. Enjoy!