Date and Nut Pinwheel Cookies (Amish Recipe)
These old-fashioned date pinwheel cookies are a nostalgic choice for your Christmas cookie trays. So soft and delightful!
Ingredients
Date Paste:
- 1 1/2 c. whole pitted and chopped dates
- 1 c. water
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. pecans or walnuts
Cookie Dough:
- 1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 c. lard or shortening
- 2 c. brown sugar
- 1/4 c. white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
To make the date paste:
- Combine chopped dates, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium/low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally. Mine took about 12 minutes to get the desired consistency.1 1/2 c. whole pitted and chopped dates, 1 c. water, 1 c. granulated sugar
- Stir in the nuts and set aside to cool.1/2 c. pecans or walnuts
To make the cookie dough:
- Beat the lard, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy.1/2 c. butter (1 stick), 1/2 c. lard or shortening, 2 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. white sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.3 eggs
- Combine the flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon. And add this to the wet mixture. Mix only enough to combine.4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Wrap the dough and place it into the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.
To make the pinwheels:
- Divide the dough in half. Dust your countertop with flour (or roll onto parchment paper) and roll the one half into a rectangle about 1/4" thick.
- Spoon half of the date paste onto the dough and spread evenly to all edges.
- Starting with the long side, roll up like a jelly roll.
- Repeat the process with the second half of the dough and date filling.
- Place the rolls onto parchment paper and wrap securely. Chill them in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Remove well-chilled rolls from the refrigerator, and with a sharp serrated knife, cut them into about 1/2" slices.
- Bake on greased cookie sheets for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them sit on the tray for a minute before removing them to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
*You can substitute the lard for all butter if you prefer.
If you wrap the rolls tightly, you can keep them in the refrigerator for a couple of days before baking. You can also freeze them for up to several weeks (just make sure they are airtight). Remove from the freezer, allow them to thaw at room temperature, then slice and bake them.
These cookies also keep well, frozen in airtight containers after they are baked. I always freeze any baked goods that I know we won't get eaten within a few days. It keeps them fresh.
Before baking, sprinkle with Christmas-colored sugar for a festive look.
*Nutrition is approximate.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cookiesCalories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 150mgPotassium: 169mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 324IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
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