Date Nut Pinwheels

This recipe is an old family favorite. I grew up with Mom making them every year. And now they have become a standard part of my own Cookie Marathon each year. They do require a little more work than your standard drop cookie, but not as much as a cutout cookie. I generally think of them as a "grown up" cookie, but even my 8 year old likes them!

Date Nut Pinwheels
(printable recipe)

(Date Nut Pinwheels in foreground, Cocoons in Background)

Ingredients for Dough:
½ Cup butter
½ Cup light brown sugar
½ Cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 Cups flour
¼ tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

Ingredients for Filling:
1 (7½ oz) pkg of dates - chopped finely
1 Cup chopped nuts (we like pecans best)
½ Cup water
¼ Cup sugar
dash of salt

Directions for Dough:
1. Cream together butter, sugars, vanilla.
2. Add egg; beat until light.
3. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
4. Chill dough.
5. Make filling while dough chills.


Directions for Filling:
6. In small saucepan, bring dates, water, sugar and salt to a boil.
7. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat. Stir often.
8. Add chopped nuts, let cool.

To make Pinwheels:

9. Halve and roll each half into a 9x12 rectangle.*
10. Spread filling over rolled dough and roll up, starting on 12" side. Roll tightly.
11. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and freeze log for several hours.
12. Pull log from freezer. Unwrap and slice into thin slices.
13. Bake on greased pan 8 minutes @ 375°.

Notes:

* Rolling dough into a rectangle is easier if you start with the dough in rectangle shape instead of a circle (see picture above).
These cookies will spread a bit so leave at least 1 inch between cookies when you lay them out.
My favorite way of eating these cookies is with a cup of coffee or hot tea. 

You can find more recipes with nuts and seeds at the Ultimate Recipe Swap.