Date-Nut Pinwheels
Pinwheel cookies with dates and walnuts are a family treasure. There are a few steps when prepping, so I sometimes freeze the dough and bake later.
Pinwheel cookies with dates and walnuts are a family treasure. There are a few steps when prepping, so I sometimes freeze the dough and bake later.
- Carbohydrate 67.4376500525585 g
- Cholesterol 175.341666735763 mg
- Fat 37.3440611378649 g
- Fiber 2.58911112817522 g
- Protein 10.8817944517186 g
- Saturated Fat 20.4373244610621 g
- Serving Size 1 1 dozen. (247g)
- Sodium 10278.4722500427 mg
- Sugar 64.8485389243832 g
- Trans Fat 3.07812055760687 g
- Calories 640 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs.
- In another bowl, whisk flour and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
- Divide dough into three portions.
- Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic.
- 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 portion between two 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 in plastic.
- Refrigerate until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350degrees.
- 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.
Golden spirals of tender dough reveal a dark, jammy core studded with toasted walnut crunch. Butter and sugar cream together into a pale, aerated matrix that traps air pockets for a tender crumb. Electric stand mixers equipped with a paddle attachment handle this dense dough efficiently without overworking the gluten network in the all-purpose flour. Rolling the sticky paste between two sheets of waxed paper prevents tearing and keeps countertops clean. Chilling the dough disks for precisely one hour solidifies the butter content so the rolling pin glides smoothly. Simmering the date paste until the liquid fully evaporates ensures the filling remains stable during baking rather than boiling over the edges. Slicing logs into one-third-inch rounds requires a sharp chef knife to avoid compressing the circular layers. Storing baked cookies in an airtight container for twenty-four hours allows the moisture from the fruit filling to soften the exterior slightly, yielding a more cohesive texture than day-one batches. Doubling or halving this yield requires dividing the ingredient quantities equally, though single-batch scaling fits comfortably on standard baking sheets without overcrowding. Operating in compact cooking spaces benefits from chilling dough portions vertically in small refrigerator door shelves to maximize limited horizontal rack space.
