Thursday, May 31, 2012

Prunes Versus Dates

Finally a recipe showed up today that made me question substituting prunes every time dates are called for.

This was enough for me to go out and buy a bag of dates and experiment with recipes I know well and are extremely fast.

Unfortunately there is a much greater difference than I expected. And in many desserts whereas prunes were getting the job done, dates would clearly make the end result better.


I realize prunes aren't ones to talk, but dates are ugly. No wonder they are always at the stores, sitting expensively by themselves, rolled in some topping.

I made sure to try one plain before getting started, and thought the taste was more or less fine. Dates are considerably sweeter, so much so that I am not sure I would just stand around eating them plain which I do all the time with prunes. I wasn't a huge fan of the texture. It has that similar sugar-grainy texture like dried pineapples or old raisins.

So I went into my experimenting, planning on preferring the beloved prune versions to anything dates could produce.

I first made the Cashew Cookies which have been my current favorite as far as quick, uncooked snacks.

I make it true to her recipe. I cut the recipe in half and did the date version first (right side). I do add chocolate chips (although today it was pieces of my chocolate bar). The date version was definitely sweeter and I would easily eat either.

Then came the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. I was living on this recipe for awhile until the cashews came along and I decided to branch out. I always substitute unsweetened coconut for the 2 tablespoons of peanuts.

The date version (also on the right side) of this recipe was WAY better. Alarmingly so. It took this snack and brought it up to a dessert. Both taste good, but I have created a monster now that I know what the date version tastes like - I am not sure I would make the prune version again.

This was good for me to really understand the differences between prunes and dates and how I will use them in recipes. 

For many of the fudge babies using prunes will still work fine, but for things like raw crusts, or in today's case a blondie recipe I would say dates are the clear choice. If it wasn't for the line-up of baking projects and sales I have coming up I would probably be making the Chocolate-Chip Cookie Pie Without Sugar right now - although mine would still have sugar if it needed sweetening beyond the dates.

8 comments:

  1. I love prunes and dates, but I like dates better in things... prunes by themselves!

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    1. I feel like I am totally behind the curve! LOL. Had I known this year was going to be all about expanding my eating I would have made it a monthly goal to recap all the new things I have tried.

      Hooray for another prune lover! There are so few of us younger ones. :)

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  2. Growing up middle eastern you would think that I like dates more than I do but I can understand how much better they would taste in baking than prunes, unless you made a fruitcake type dessert where prunes would actually taste pretty good

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    1. You must have had a chance to eat some really amazing stuff in the middle east!

      Right now I would eat the prunes over the dates just plain, but I was stunned how clear the baking difference is for most items (good point on fruit cake style though).

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  3. Ok, Love this post!! Unfortunately I don't like either of them...wish I really did! I might have to try them in cookies, I bet I would enjoy them. Love your blog! Absolutely love that you incorporated your dog in your book review (below)...I must do that with my pugs!!

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    1. I just laughed about the pugs...how can you not put them in everything! LOL. I am sure you do.

      Anyway I think that you could totally incorporate dates in cooking and really not even taste them. That was the other part I forgot to mention. Dates taste mostly like sugar whereas prunes definitely have that "fruit sweetened" taste.

      I had a lot of fun with this!

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  4. Thank you for your not just defining the difference but also showing it.

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  5. Thank you for your not just defining the difference but also showing it.

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