Cookie Recipes
Date-Filled Treasures
Yield: about 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
Dough
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
Date Filling
- 2 cups pitted, chopped dates
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup dark raisins
- 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
Dough
- With mixer on medium, beat shortening, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until light and creamy.
- Blend together flour, baking powder and salt; stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Mixture will be
slightly stiff.
- Refrigerate dough at least one hour.
- While dough is chilling, prepare date filling. Finely cut up or grind dates.
Date Filling
- Combine dates, sugar, raisins, orange peel and water in a saucepan. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, 20 to 25 minutes, or until mixture thickens. Stir in nuts. Let cool.
- Add nuts. (This makes about 2 1/3 cups filling.)
Date-Filled Treasures
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
- Roll out chilled dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut dough with a scalloped round cookie cutter, cutting 2 scallops for each filled cookie.
- Place bottom pieces on the prepared cookie sheet. Drop 1 rounded teaspoon of date filling on each bottom cookie. Cover with top cookie piece and press edges together to seal in filling.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown.
- Transfer from cookie sheet to racks to cool.
Attribution
Posted by kdipaolo at Recipe Goldmine May 9, 2001.