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Here is one more cookie from my Christmas baking. Another recipe from M; taken from her old cook book put together by her mother and friends in the 50's. Its is a community cookbook where the neighbors each give their own recipes and then compile it.

My husband and I liked this cookie the best, of all the other cookies I baked this holiday season. They crumble in your mouth and works in mysterious ways speeding you to eat more. Something like Lays ad that says “no one can eat just one.” The nuts and dates creating the swirling path within are chewy and delectable. The chewy inside is made by cooking the dates and nuts down with sugar forming this caramelized gooey mixture. Yes, I meant it when I said delectable. They are the kind of cookies one will carefully bite into, ensuring every morsel goes into the mouth and not the carpet.

I think I have said enough on the matter to help you understand. Now the pitfall or flip side of things is, the dough is not the easiest to work with. But chilling them well, as directed and carefully sawing the loaf into slices will all payoff when you finally bite into the baked goodies. Lets put on our aprons and get to work.



Chopped pitted dates – 2 C
Chopped nut meats – 1 C
Brown Sugar – 2 C
All purpose flour – 4 C
Sugar – 1 C
Water – 1 C
Shortening – 1 C
Eggs – 3 beaten
Salt – ½ tspn
Baking Powder – ½ tspn

Method:

For cooking the dates and nuts:
1. Mix dates, white sugar and water in a saucepan
2. Cook till the mixture thickens and the mix is not watery
3. Add the nut meat to the hot mixture stir and set aside to cool

For the dough:
1. Cream the shortening with a hand blender and add brown sugar gradually
2. Add the eggs to the mix and beat well
3. Add the flour sifted with salt and baking powder to the above mixture and mix well
4. Chill the dough thoroughly (3-6 hrs)(I had them transferred onto butter paper, wrapped well and refrigerated)

For making the cookies:
1. Divide the chilled dough into two parts and roll into rectangle a little less than ¼ inch thick
2. Spread each with the date filling and roll up as in a jelly roll
3. Chill both the rolls thoroughly overnight.
4. Using a sharp knife cut into slices and ¼ inch thick
5. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes


Contributor: Sunitha