Date Pinwheels
Date Filling:
Combine in a saucepan
2 cups chopped dates
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens to spreading consistency. Stir constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Chill.
Cookie Dough:
Cream thoroughly
1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Add
2 well beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Beat until light and fluffy.
Blend or sift together
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Add dry ingredient to the creamed mixture and combine thoroughly. CHill dough until firm.
Divide chilled dough into three balls. Roll each to a 8 x 12 inch rectangle. Spread with date filling. Beginning at the narrow edge o each, roll up like jelly rolls. Wrap securely in waxed paper. Chill overnight or until needed.
To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice off desired number of cookies, making each about 1;4 inch thick. (tip: roll the cookie roll as you cut, to avoid a flattened side) Place on greased baking sheets and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
Wrap remaining cookie dough and return to fridge. Because of date filling, all cookies should be baked within a week or 10 days, but you can throw the rolls in the freezer, and pull them out later (great for prepping well before Christmas, just pull out of freezer, and put in fridge for the week of Christmas).
