Date Filled Cookies

This is a very basic recipe for a rolled- up- pastry- cookie with date filling, it has many variations in Israel, I will note some here. Very sweet & tasty,yet no added sugar. The pastry is very easy to make and is called "SFM" which stands for Sour cream, Flour and Margarine(in Hebrew-"shekem") The pastry itself can also be used for quiches,pies etc.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 40-60

Ingredients

• Pastry

• 1  cup sour cream (250ml)
• 350  g self raising flour
• 200  g margarine or 200  g butter

• Filling

• 1 (500 g) container  date spread

• variations

• 500  g pitted dates
• 2 -6  teaspoons  cinnamon-sugar mixture
• 6 -9  tablespoons  plain vanilla  halva (NOT halva spread)

Directions

1. Mix the pastry ingredients well to form a nice soft smooth dough.
2. Form ball and wrap in the paper left from margarine and refrigerate for an hour(or stick in freezer for 10 minutes,or -- don't chill at all if in a rush!).
3. Divide into three parts (each will create a "roll up").
4. On a clean,floured surface roll to a large rectangle (about 30-40cm x 20-30cm), around 2-3mm thick, with the long end parallel to you.
5. *TIP: roll the end closest to you slightly thinner and roll up from this side-this ensures pastry gets baked all the way through.
6. With a long spatula spread a third of the date spread evenly over the pastry, leaving a 5-10mm margin all around.
7. Optional additions before rolling:.
8. *cut up the date "block" into small pieces (I usually just tear little bits off by hand) and distribute a third over the date spread.
9. *sprinkle with around a teaspoon of cinnamon-and some sugar if desired.
10. *This is a delicious touch: crumble 2-3 tablespoons of plain vanilla Halva over the date spread.
11. Repeat with the other 2 parts of pastry.
12. *Now roll up tightly,place on baking paper lined cookie sheet (curve the roll if it came out too long) and bake for about 10-20 minutes -DEPENDS ON YOUR OVEN-until golden.
13. Remove tray from oven and leave to cool slightly.
14. With a sharp serated edge knife cut diagonaly into 2-3 cm slices and leve to cool completely.
15. You can sprinkle with powdered suger if desired.
16. Store in airtight cookie containers.