Cookies, cookies, cookies everywhere! Yes, it's that time of year again! Time for the Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap!
I discovered this massive cookie swap last year and made my Cherry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies for three lucky bloggers across the US :) Since last year, I have really improved my baking skills to include pies, cakes, muffins and of course cookies. I was on a roll the other weekend, baking up a storm of Christmas cookies. My kitchen was covered in powdered sugar and softened butter.
It is amazing how popular you become in your office when you bring in treats every Monday. Not to mention the Hubby is loving all these cookies that magically arrive on our doorstep. We first received some Brownie Drops from Satisfy My Sweet Tooth. I had to hide them so Hubby and his buddies wouldn't devour them before I could get pics for this post!
We then received some delicious Cinnamon Pecan Tea Cakes from Being the Secret Ingredient. These were moist, flavorful bites that were perfect with my morning cup of coffee (yes, I had some for breakfast)!
As for my contribution to the Cookie Swap, I went back in time. I have written about my grandmother in several posts and what an amazing cook she was. She especially had a knack for baking and didn't even write down recipes, just made things from memory and sensory. A favorite in my family are the Date Pinwheels, which basically mixes a sugar cookie with a shortbread cookie and fills it with a fruity, nutty paste. I had to track down the recipe from my Aunt Liz so I could test it for the swap. TEST RUN APPROVED!!
These cookies do involve a few extra steps, but they are totally worth it, especially if you are a date fan. Eating them just made me miss her even more! I hope that all the recipients of my cookies enjoyed them (I know at least one of them did since she sent me a note the day she got them). These cookies are very special to me, so be sure to include lots of love when you make them.
Yields: 25-30 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
7 oz (200g) pitted dates, chopped
1/3 cup water
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
In a small saucepan, bring the dates, water and 1/4 cup of the sugar to a simmer and cook, while stirring for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Set this aside and cool.
In a standing mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and rest of granulated sugar until light in color. Stir in the egg, vanilla, salt and sifted flour and baking soda. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Split the dough in half and roll each dough ball out until it is about 1/4 of an inch thick. Spread some of the prepared date paste and gently roll the the dough to create a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Unwrap the dough logs and slice into 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until room temperature.
It is amazing how popular you become in your office when you bring in treats every Monday. Not to mention the Hubby is loving all these cookies that magically arrive on our doorstep. We first received some Brownie Drops from Satisfy My Sweet Tooth. I had to hide them so Hubby and his buddies wouldn't devour them before I could get pics for this post!
As for my contribution to the Cookie Swap, I went back in time. I have written about my grandmother in several posts and what an amazing cook she was. She especially had a knack for baking and didn't even write down recipes, just made things from memory and sensory. A favorite in my family are the Date Pinwheels, which basically mixes a sugar cookie with a shortbread cookie and fills it with a fruity, nutty paste. I had to track down the recipe from my Aunt Liz so I could test it for the swap. TEST RUN APPROVED!!
These cookies do involve a few extra steps, but they are totally worth it, especially if you are a date fan. Eating them just made me miss her even more! I hope that all the recipients of my cookies enjoyed them (I know at least one of them did since she sent me a note the day she got them). These cookies are very special to me, so be sure to include lots of love when you make them.
Betty's Date Pinwheels
Yields: 25-30 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
7 oz (200g) pitted dates, chopped
1/3 cup water
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
In a small saucepan, bring the dates, water and 1/4 cup of the sugar to a simmer and cook, while stirring for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Set this aside and cool.
In a standing mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and rest of granulated sugar until light in color. Stir in the egg, vanilla, salt and sifted flour and baking soda. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Split the dough in half and roll each dough ball out until it is about 1/4 of an inch thick. Spread some of the prepared date paste and gently roll the the dough to create a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Unwrap the dough logs and slice into 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until room temperature.
Good article and I really like, thanks for sharing!
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ReplyDeletethis is a nice story, thanks for sharing...the recipe could use some added details :-) my dough was nearly impossible to roll and cracked constantly. The date filling was thick, and impossible to spread, and any advice on rolling would've been great! I searched a lot of recipes and landed on this one, never had tried this type of cookie before, I was pretty frustrated, but luckily somehow got 2 rolls, currently chilling in the fride, fingers crossed they turn out for my gathering...I hope they are as pretty as these.
ReplyDeleteI have problems with this, too. And did I miss adding the nuts? I added them on top of the date filling and the “log” kept breaking open due to the uneven nuts on top.
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(jk)
Made these yesterday, taste delicioustoday. Difficult time with the filling, and the dough which was hard to get to stay together while rolling, managed to get the filling spread over the dough but just barely. I hadn't made pinwheel cookies on years, always made them for special occasions and holidays with a different variety of filling, using the same dough recipe. Wish I could find that dough recipe now.
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem very dry, would not form soi added a little water. Finally after 25 minutes I got it to stick together. Have not baked them yet. Not sure if there was something left out for moisture, I probably will not use this recipe again.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you put walnut?? I read a few times if I missed to read but there is no walnut anywhere.
ReplyDeleteNo, the recipe failed to tell us where or when to add the nuts. I just sprinkled them on top of the dates but it really made rolling the log neatly impossible. It kept busting open due to the uneven nuts.
Delete