Posted by kdipaolo May 9, 2001

1 cup dates, chopped and pitted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 cups toasted rice cereal (Rice Krispies), slightly crushed
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red decorating sugar
1 tube green decorator icing with leaf tip

In a saucepan, combine dates, sugar, butter and eggs; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Mixture will be thick. Remove from heat; stir in cereal, nuts and vanilla extract.

Let mixture cool before shaping into cookies. By hand, shape chunks of mixture into strawberries, making cookies are large or small as desired. Roll shaped cookies in red decorating sugar. Finish by adding a green leaf to each cookie with decorator icing.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies.

NOTE: Cookies will keep about 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.