Date Walnut Pinwheels Food

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.

DATE-WALNUT PINWHEELS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Mix sugar and cinnamon. On a lightly floured surface, unroll crust; roll crust into a 12-in. square. Spread preserves over top; sprinkle with dates, walnuts and cinnamon-sugar., Roll up jelly-roll style; pinch seam to seal. Cut crosswise into 12 slices, about 1 in. thick. Place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

DATE NUT PINWHEEL COOKIES I

Steps:

• Chop pitted dates in food chopper. Place dates into small saucepan and add 1/4 cup sugar, dash of salt, and 1 1/4 cups of water. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is of a soft consistency. Remove from heat.
• Add grated lemon rind, lemon juice, and chopped nuts. Mix well and chill.
• Cream together 3/4 cup butter and gradually add 1/2 cup white sugar and 1cup lightly packed brown sugar. Beat well. Beat 2 eggs until thick and add to creamed mixture part at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
• Measure into a sifter 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Sift together twice. Sift dry ingredients into creamed mixture about 1/4 at a time. Combine thoroughly after each addition. Chill until firm.
• Divide dough into 3 parts. Roll out 1 part at a time into a rectangle. Spread with date filling. Roll up jelly roll fashion in waxed paper. Chill several hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• With sharp knife, slice 1/4 inch thick slices off of rolls and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake 10 - 13 minutes. Let cool.

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.

CHEWY DATE AND WALNUT PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine dates, sugar and water in saucepan.
• Cook until thickened and dates have broken down to a paste about 5 minutes, stirring constantly (add water a tsp at a time if you feel it is sticking).
• Remove from heat and blend in lemon juice, lemon rind and the nuts.
• Set aside to cool thoroughly.
• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
• Cream the butter, brown sugar and orange rind.
• Beat in the egg and vinegar (the vinegar will slightly"curdle" the butter, don't worry this is normal).
• Blend in the dry ingredients (dough will be somewhat stiff).
• Chill dough several hours or overnight.
• On wax paper, roll dough into a 15x10 inch rectangle.
• Spread with the date mixture to within 1/4 inch of all sides.
• Starting with the long side of the dough roll as for jelly roll, using the wax paper to help you.
• Slice roll in half place on platter cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on cookie sheet (grease the sheet if you are not using a non-stick sheet).
• Bake in 375F oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden (do not brown).
• Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing and cooling on rack.

DATE NUT PINWHEELS

Steps:

• For filling, in a small saucepan combine dates, sugar, and water and bring to boiling.
• Cook an stir over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or till thick.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in nuts and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• Cool thoroughly.
• Meanwhile, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
• In a large mixing bowl beat shortening for 30 seconds.
• Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy.
• Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat well.
• Add flour mixture and beat until well mixed, stirring in last portion by hand.
• Cover and chill about 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
• On waxed paper roll dough into an 18x10 inch rectangle.
• Spread filling to within 1/2 inch of edges.
• Roll up jelly roll style, beginning at long side.
• Pinch edge to seal.
• Cut roll in half cross wise.
• Wrap rolls and chill for several hours or overnight.
• (Chill in a drinking glass to avoid flat side.) Cut in 1/4-inch slices.
• Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake in a 350 oven for 10-12 minutes or until done.
• Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove and cool thoroughly.

DATE-NUT (PINWHEEL) COOKIES

Steps:

• Filling: Combine, mix, and cook ingredients listed for filling over medium heat in pot until sugar melts and mixture achieves consistency of a paste. Let it cool. (Put it in an airtight container in refrigerator until the dough is ready to receive this filling spread on top. Take it out in time to let it warm up and become more spreadable. You may want to heat it briefly in a microwave if it is too cold, but don't let it reach much more than room temperature. No microwave in my childhood, so this is a new possibility.) For Dough: Cream butter and all sugar (white and brown). Add beaten eggs to creamed mixture. Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly, and gradually mix into combination of butter, sugar, and eggs. Divide dough into 4 or 5 sections, wrap in plastic or place in sealed containers, and chill well (in refrigerator, typically overnight per my dear old mom's activities in my childhood). Roll out each dough segment into an oblong length, perhaps 1/8 inch thick (or so), as I recall. (My mother used plastic wrap with flour dusted on it to receive the dough and to roll it out.) Preparing the Cookies Using Rolled Dough and Filling and Baking: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread filling on top of length of rolled, flat dough (some five inches by 24 to 30 inches, as I recall). This rolled dough length should be ROUGHLY five inches wide and much longer. When the filling is on top of the dough, roll the dough into a spiral of dough and filling. The roughly five inch wide direction is the direction of the roll, and the result should be a long tube of rolled dough. Cut these into 1/2 inch wide lengths (which should look like spirals of dough and filling), and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake the cookies in preheated 375 degree F oven for ten or fifteen minutes. (Check them at ten, and adjust the time for what works with your pans and oven.)

PARSLEY WALNUT PINWHEELS

Steps:

• In a food processor blend the flour, the salt, the Cheddar, and the butter until the mixture resembles meal. With the motor running add 5 tablespoons of the water and blend the mixture, adding more water if necessary, until it just forms a dough. (Do not overblend the dough.) Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper and halve it. With the motor running drop the garlic into the food processor and mince it. Turn off the motor, add the parsley and the walnuts, and blend them until they are chopped coarse. Add half the dough, reserving the other half, chilled, and blend the mixture, scraping down sides, until the parsley mixture is distributed evenly throughout the dough. Pat half the parsley dough into a 7- by 5-inch rectangle on a sheet of wax paper, reserving the other half, top it with another sheet of wax paper, and roll it into a 12- by 7-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough in the wax paper to a baking sheet and chill it for 10 minutes, or until it is firm but flexible. Repeat the rolling and chilling procedure with half of the reserved plain cheese dough.
• Discard the top sheet of wax paper from the plain cheese dough and arrange the parsley dough, unwrapped, on top, pressing the 2 layers together lightly with the rolling pin. Using the bottom sheet of wax paper as a guide and beginning with a long side, roll the dough tightly together jelly-roll fashion (if the doughs are too firm to roll easily, let them stand at room temperature until they are pliable) and chill the roll, wrapped well, for at least 1 hour or overnight. Repeat the entire procedure with the remaining reserved parsley and plain cheese doughs. The dough rolls may be made 1 week in advance and kept covered tightly and chilled.
• Unwrap the rolls and cut them crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Bake the pinwheels in batches on greased baking sheets in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are golden, transferring them as they are baked to racks, and let them cool.