Sliced Cookies: Date Pinwheel Cookies

Dates are chewy and sweet, so it makes sense that a date cookie would be as well. These soft pinwheels are great with ice cream in the evening or coffee in the morning. Versatile and delicious, you can serve these to the young and old alike.


Ingredients


For the Filling
¾ cup dates, finely chopped
¼ sugar
⅓ cup water
2 tbsp nuts, finely chopped (optional)


For the Cookies
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1½ cups all purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt


Preparation


First you must make the filling for the cookies. Place dates, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Allow to cool uncovered until the filling cools to room temperature.


When the filling has cooled, it's time to make the cookie dough. Place sugar, butter, and egg in a large bowl and beat until fluffy. Add in the rest of the cookie ingredients and blend gently until a soft dough forms. Dough will be sticky, so handle carefully.


On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 8x16-inch rectangle. Use as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully spread the date filling on the dough, staying about an inch away from one long side; this gap is important. Roll up the dough to create a log, but start with the other long side, the one away from the gap you left with the filling. The gap allows the filling to expand as you roll up the dough.


Wrap the entire 16-inch log you've created in wax paper and freeze. The roll needs to stay in the freezer for at least 2 hours, so ignore it for a while. Don't try to cut it too early or you'll end up with a mess.


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from freezer and unwrap. Cut into ½-inch slices and arranged on a prepared cookie sheet. Keep cookies at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 9 minutes, until cookies are browned at the edges. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then cool completely on wire racks.


Cookies can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container. This recipe makes 32 cookies.