Rose's Baking Basics

Date Nut Roll Cookies

Makes Twenty-eight 2¼ by 2¾ inch oval cookies

Oven Temperature: 375°F/190°C

Baking Time: 12 to 16 minutes for each of two batches

Plan Ahead: The filled dough log needs to be frozen for a minimum of 3 hours before cutting and baking.

Baking Equipment: Two 15 by 12 inch cookie sheets, nonstick or lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray

My dear friend Sally Longo contributed these special cookies. This treasured family recipe was given to her years ago by her Aunt Evelyn. The cookie dough is rolled around a delicious date nut citrus filling. The cookies are crisp and at the same time moist and chewy, thanks to the dates.

Dough Makes 275 grams

unsalted butter	57 grams	4 tablespoons (½ stick)
½ large egg	25 grams	1½ tablespoons (22.5 ml)
bleached all-purpose flour	121 grams	1 cup (lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off)
light brown sugar, preferably light Muscovado	54 grams	¼ cup, firmly packed
baking powder	1.1 grams	¼ teaspoon
baking soda	1.3 grams	¼ teaspoon
fine sea salt	.	a pinch
milk	8 grams	1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml)
pure vanilla extract	.	1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml)

Mise en Place

▪ About 1 hour ahead, set the butter and egg on the counter at room temperature (65º to 75ºF/19º to 24ºC).

Make the Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter, egg, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, or until smooth and evenly incorporated.

2. Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Knead it lightly just until it comes together smoothly and flatten it to form a rectangle. Cover with another large piece of plastic wrap. Roll the dough into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle, about ¹⁄₁₆ inch thick. If the dough softens, slip it onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate it until firm enough to roll. Press along the side edges of the plastic wrap to seal in the dough.

3. Slide a cookie sheet or cutting board under the dough and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, up to overnight. (Alternatively, set it in the freezer until firm, and then refrigerate it until ready spread the filling.)

Filling

walnut or pecan halves	50 grams	½ cup
pitted dates, about 20	142 grams	1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar	50 grams	¼ cup
orange zest, finely grated (see Baking Pearl)	2 grams	1 teaspoon, loosely packed
orange juice, freshly squeezed	60 grams	¼ cup (59 ml)

Make the Filling

4. Chop the nuts medium fine.

5. Cut the dates into halves or thirds and place them in a food processor. Add the granulated sugar and process the dates until finely chopped. (Alternatively, chop the dates using a sharp knife that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray.)

6. Into a small saucepan, place the dates and sugar, and the orange zest and juice. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

7. Stir in the chopped nuts and let the filling cool completely. The filling should be a jam-like consistency. If necessary, add a small amount of orange juice to soften it to spreadable consistency.

Make the Dough Log

8. Slip the dough from the cookie sheet onto the counter so that one of the shorter sides faces you. Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap and set it back onto the dough. Using the bottom sheet of plastic wrap, flip the dough over and peel off the sheet of plastic wrap that is now on top.

9. Use a small offset spatula to spread the filling evenly over the dough, going almost all the way to the edges.

10. Starting at one of the shorter sides and using the plastic wrap to assist in lifting the dough, tightly roll up the dough. The dough log will be about 9½ inches long by 2 inches in diameter.

11. Divide the dough log into two equal lengths. Cover each piece of dough tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 3 hours, up to 3 months; to maintain the round shape, set the logs so that they stand up on one end.

Preheat the Oven

▪ Thirty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 375ºF/190ºC.

Cut the Dough into Cookies

12. Remove one frozen dough log from the freezer and place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll in half. Because the dough softens very quickly, wrap one of the halves in plastic wrap and return it to the freezer.

13. Mark the log into 1 inch long sections. Use the marks as a guide to slice each section into ⅓ inch thick discs; you should end up with 14 slices. While cutting the dough, the log will start to flatten. This creates an attractive oval shape but if you prefer a round shape, simply roll it lightly after making each slice. Repeat with the second log.

14. Set the dough slices 1½ inches apart on a cookie sheet. Smooth any rough edges with a small metal spatula.

Bake the Cookies

15. Bake for 7 minutes. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheet half way around. Continue baking for 5 to 9 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed.

Cool the Cookies

16. Set the cookie sheet on a wire rack and use a thin pancake turner to lift the cookies onto another wire rack. Cool completely.

17. While the first batch of cookies is baking, cut the second dough log and place the cookies on a cookie sheet. Bake after the first batch is removed from the oven.

Store Airtight: room temperature, 1 month; frozen, 3 months.

Baking Pearls

The cookies will be crisp after cooling. After being stored airtight for several hours, they will become soft from the moisture in the filling. If you prefer crisper cookies, do not seal them airtight. This will, however, shorten their shelf life.

Before zesting the orange for the filling, wash it with dishwashing liquid and dry it (see Citrus Zest).

Making Date Nut Roll Cookies