Date Nut Pinwheel Cookies

Submitted by Chris Reynolds

"This recipe came out of my old McCall's Cookbook. It is out of print, unfortunately, because it rivalled even the old standby Betty Crocker as the best all-round. When my girls got married, each one got a McCall's Cookbook (which I had to buy from a used book store). Tradition lives in the Reynolds family! These cookies are really tasty, and I think you will love them."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 5 dozen

ingredients

• COOKIE

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2⁄3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• FILLING

• 8 ounces dates, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons lemon peel
• 1⁄2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

directions

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, and blend thoroughly.
3. Add flour mixture, blending to make a soft dough. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, make filling. In a small saucepan, add dates, sugar, and water. Cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Mix in peel and nuts. Cool.
5. Divide cookie dough in half. Roll 1/2 into 8x10 rectangle. Spread 1/2 of filling over rolled dough. Beginning at long end, roll dough, jelly roll fashion, and wrap in plastic. Repeat with other half of dough. Refrigerate both rolls several hours or overnight.
6. With a thin, sharp knife, slice cookies into 1/4" slices. Place on cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.
7. ORANGE-FIG cookies: Make filling of 1-1/4 C figs, 1/4 C sugar, 3/4 C water. Cook approximately 10 minutes, then add 1 tbsp orange peel and 1/2 C finely chopped walnuts. Proceed as above using orange-fig filling instead of date filling.