Step 1
Start by melting the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the sugar and dates, cooking until the sugar has completely dissolved—this should take about 1 to 2 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and quickly mix in the egg, making sure to stir fast so it doesn’t scramble. Put the skillet back on medium heat and keep stirring constantly until the mixture reaches a full boil, which usually takes 4 to 6 minutes. Once boiling, keep stirring and let it cook for another minute. Remove the skillet from the heat again, then fold in the rice cereal, chopped coconut, chopped cherries, and vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes until it starts to firm up a bit. When it’s cool enough to handle, scoop out rounded teaspoons of the mixture and roll them into 1-inch balls. Finally, spread some flaked coconut in a shallow dish and roll each ball in it, coating them nicely.
