Date Nut Whirligig Cookies Recipes

DATE AND WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line one or more baking sheets with parchment. Place flour in a bowl and whisk in the salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
• Cream butter and brown sugar together by hand or in an electric mixer. Beat in eggs. The mixture will not be smooth. Dissolve the baking soda in 1 tablespoon hot water and stir it in. Stir in the dates and nuts. The batter will be heavy and not easy to mix. Work in the flour mixture, about a third at a time. If your electric mixer has a dough hook, use it for working in the flour.
• Scoop heaping teaspoons of batter onto prepared baking sheet or sheets, making craggy mounds about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Space them about 1 1/2 inches apart; the cookies will not spread very much. (Alternatively, for neater cookies, you can roll the batter into balls between your palms, then lightly press them down with the back of a spoon or the tines of a fork.) Allow to sit at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. Depending on the size of your oven and your baking sheets, you can form the cookies ready to bake on sheets of parchment paper on your countertop, then transfer them to baking sheets in shifts.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Let cool, then dust with sifted confectioners' sugar. If you plan to freeze some of the cookies, do not dust them with confectioners' sugar; wait until after they thaw.

DATE AND NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper third and middle. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add dates, pecans, and raisins, and stir with a wooden spoon until fruit and nuts are coated. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, oil, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Add to flour mixture and stir until combined.
• In another small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until cookies are golden at edges, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.

DATE NUT COOKIE PIES

Steps:

• To prepare the pastry, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of the cream and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Add more cream if necessary but stop before the dough is too wet. Tip half of the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill the disks for at least 2 hours.
• To prepare the filling, bring the dates and the water to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Cook until the dates are very soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dates and the water to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and add the pecans, walnuts, honey, orange zest, cardamom, cloves, and salt and pulse until you have a chunky paste. Let cool completely.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8 inch on a very lightly floured surface. (Less flour means a more tender cookie.) Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and set them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining disk. You can reroll the dough once if you like.
• Scoop about a rounded 1/2 teaspoon of filling onto half of the dough circles. Brush the edges of the filling-topped circles with a bit of cream and top with another dough circle, gently pressing the edges to seal. Once you've sandwiched all of the cookies, use a fork to crimp all of the edges.
• Chill the cookies until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Brush the top of each cookie with cream and sprinkle with a bit of sanding sugar. Bake until the cookies are golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool completely on a rack.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

DATE SWIRL COOKIES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine filling ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes stiff, 15-20 minutes. Chill. , For dough, cream butter and sugars in a bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add extract. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to a 12x9-in. rectangle, about 1/4 in. thick. Spread with half of the filling. Roll up, starting with the long end. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Wrap in plastic; chill overnight. , Cut rolls into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

DATE NUT PINWHEEL COOKIES II

Steps:

• Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Sift the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and flour together in a second mixing bowl. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until evenly blended.
• Divide the dough evenly into three portions and place each on a square of waxed paper. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling by combine the dates, pecans, water and white sugar in a saucepan set over low heat. Cook and stir until the filling has a paste-like consistency. Cool slightly.
• Working with one portion at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to make a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread 1/3 of the filling evenly over the dough; roll up to make a log. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly grease two baking sheets.
• Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut the rolls into 1/4 inch slices. Place the slices on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until set and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool on racks.

MOM'S DATE-NUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sugar, dates, walnuts, and beaten egg. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil until dates have softened and melted into the mixture, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in rice cereal.
• Place coconut in a shallow bowl.
• Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and drop them into the coconut, rolling and pressing until coated.

DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Turn the mixer to low, add the egg and mix well to combine. Add the oats, flour and cinnamon and mix on low until combined. Fold in the dates and walnuts with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Scoop mounds of dough with a cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie) and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
• Bake on the middle rack until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.

STRAWBERRY COOKIES (NO-BAKE DATE NUT COOKIE)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter.
• Add slightly beaten egg, sugar, coconut, dates and salt.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until thick.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla.
• Add cereal and nuts.
• Cool slightly.
• Butter hands and roll a heaping teaspoon into a ball and then add a point to make it into the shape of a strawberry.
• Immediately roll in red sugar and place on waxed paper (kids can help with this step since the faster you roll them in sugar, the better).
• When all the cookies are made, add green icing stems (I use decorator tip #349).
• When stems are firm to the touch, place in candy papers and store in an airtight container.

CHEWY DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg; mix well. Combine the flours, lemon zest, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in dates., Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

DATE COOKIES LIKE AWREY'S

Steps:

• Mix filling ingredients in saucepan. Cook til smooth. (Raspberry or strawberry jam may also be used as filling.)
• Mix cookie ingredients as if for a pie crust.
• Pat one half of the mixture on a buttered (8x8x2 inch) pan.
• Press down firmly and spread on the filling.
• Cover with the other half of the oatmeal mixture and press down lightly.
• Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes. Cut into squares.

DATE-NUT PINWHEELS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough into 3 portions; shape each into a disk. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., For filling, place dates, water and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until dates are tender and liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in walnuts; cool completely., Roll each dough portion between 2 sheets of waxed paper into a 12x10-in. rectangle. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove waxed paper. Spread a third of the filling over each rectangle. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Wrap securely. Refrigerate until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/3-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

EASY DATE WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir all ingredients until stiff dough forms.
• Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

DATE NUT PINWHEELS (COOKIES)

Steps:

• In saucepan, combine first four ingredients and cook to thicken, adding additional 1/4 cup water if needed, then cool.
• In separate bowl, combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt and soda and mix thoroughly.
• Divide dough into two and roll out.
• Divide date mixture into two even portions and spread evenly on rolled dough.
• Roll each section, jelly roll style, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• remove rolls from fridge and remove wax paper.
• Slice with thread or sharp knife into 1/4 inch slices.
• bake 5-8 minutes or until brown on edges.
• Cool on rack and serve.

DATE NUT PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, and blend thoroughly.
• Add flour mixture, blending to make a soft dough. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.