01 February 2011

~Date Pinwheel Cookies

Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,

We dogs have searched out the Very Best date pinwheel recipe. We have made many recipes over the holly-days and find this one to surpass others. It comes from the 2007 Riverside County Fair National Date Festival.


Date-Nut Pinwheels

Cookie Dough:
2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmet
2/3 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
 
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Beat butter until light.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour mixture.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.
 
Filling :
1 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Cook dates, sugar and water in medium saucepan over medium heart.  Mash until the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the lemon zest and walnuts.  Cool completely.
 
Divide the cookie dough in half.   Roll each half into 10 x 8 inch rectangles.  Spread half the filling evenly on each of the dough rectangles.  Roll up and wrap each roll in plastic.  Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease  cookie sheet. Using a shape knife, cut dough into ½ inch slices.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly brown.

~Snicker Doodle Cookies

Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,

On these wintry days, we pups enjoy nothing more than coming in from the out of doors to the good smell of cookies baking. Our Girl's elders love in particular the Snickerdoodle and the Date Pinwheel. So these are the cookies we have been concocting.

Herewith is the Doodle recipe from Betty Crocker (we don't know if she has dogs):

Snickerdoodles

1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Topping
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream the sugar and butter. Then blend in eggs. Measure dry ingredients separately and mix. Stir into butter mixture until well combined. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes until set. Don't overbake.