Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls

These cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly. I tried them last night and they are delicious if you love sweet spices and dates/figs. Yum! From Epicurious. Start to Finish: 6 hours (includes chilling time)

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup  packed soft dried fig, stemmed and coarsely chopped (8 oz)
• 1  cup  packed pitted dates, trimmed and coarsely chopped (7 oz)
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar, plus
• 2  tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons anise seeds, ground
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4  ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  large  egg yolk
• 1⁄4 cup  granulated raw sugar, such as turbinado

Directions

1. Purée figs and dates with water and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until almost smooth.
2. Whisk together flour, anise, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter, cream cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and yolk until combined well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined.
3. Halve dough and form each half into a rectangle. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
4. Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 9- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1/3 inch thick. Remove top sheet of wax paper and drop half of fig mixture by spoonfuls onto dough, then gently spread in an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Starting with a long side and using wax paper as an aid, roll up dough jelly-roll style into a log. Roll log in raw sugar to coat completely. Make another log in same manner. Chill logs, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 4 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
6. Cut logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and arrange slices about 2 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, 15 to 17 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool.
7. Logs can be chilled up to 3 days.
8. Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature, 1 week.