D is for Dates (Oatmeal Date Filled Cookies)
I was torn between duck and dates when making this post. Daikon (as in the radish) was a possibility but as I've never made anything with it before, I decided not to take the risk. :)
Date filled oatmeal turnovers are one of my favourite cookies. Simple, not too sweet, and very satisfying to pick up and munch on when feeling in need of a comforting sweet treat. The pastry is still a work in a process but the date filling is spot on. I started with a recipe posted by Eva Taylor on her blog "Kitchen Inspirations" but made some adjustments based on comments that the dough could be tricky to roll out due to some dryness.
I'm having some camera issues but, hopefully, the picture(s) will be posted shortly.
Old Fashioned Date Filled Cookies - makes 18 3-inch cookies and 5 4-inch cookies
Date Filling:
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup sugar (reduced to 2 tbsp as I was using honey dates which were already somewhat sweet and the filling I'm used to isn't very sweet)
1/2 cup water
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rolled oats**
** If using large flaked oats, or if you want a less chewy cookie texture, pulse the oats briefly in a food processor allowing some larger sized flakes to remain.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small saucepan, put the dates, sugar and water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium/medium low, cover and simmer gently until thick and smooth, about 10-15 minutes. If the dates haven't broken down enough, use a wand blender to puree the date mixture until you get a smooth paste. Remove from the heat, stir in the cinnamon and allow to cool completely.
In a small bowl, beat together egg, milk and vanilla extract.
Cream butter and brown sugar well in a large bowl.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Add the rolled oats, pour the egg mixture over all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until you get a dough that can be rolled.
Form dough into a disk, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight if making the dough ahead of time.
Cut the dough in half, and using a generous amount of flour roll the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Place a gently rounded teaspoon of the date paste onto one half of the dough circle and fold over the other half, aligning the two half edges together, to make a half moon. Repeat until all the dough is used.
ETA: Next time, I'll brush the tops of the turnovers with an egg wash to get that glossy brown look.
For a 4-inch cookie, use 2 teaspoons of date filling.
Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool on baking sheet.
Date filled oatmeal turnovers are one of my favourite cookies. Simple, not too sweet, and very satisfying to pick up and munch on when feeling in need of a comforting sweet treat. The pastry is still a work in a process but the date filling is spot on. I started with a recipe posted by Eva Taylor on her blog "Kitchen Inspirations" but made some adjustments based on comments that the dough could be tricky to roll out due to some dryness.
I'm having some camera issues but, hopefully, the picture(s) will be posted shortly.
Old Fashioned Date Filled Cookies - makes 18 3-inch cookies and 5 4-inch cookies
Date Filling:
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup sugar (reduced to 2 tbsp as I was using honey dates which were already somewhat sweet and the filling I'm used to isn't very sweet)
1/2 cup water
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rolled oats**
** If using large flaked oats, or if you want a less chewy cookie texture, pulse the oats briefly in a food processor allowing some larger sized flakes to remain.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small saucepan, put the dates, sugar and water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium/medium low, cover and simmer gently until thick and smooth, about 10-15 minutes. If the dates haven't broken down enough, use a wand blender to puree the date mixture until you get a smooth paste. Remove from the heat, stir in the cinnamon and allow to cool completely.
In a small bowl, beat together egg, milk and vanilla extract.
Cream butter and brown sugar well in a large bowl.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Add the rolled oats, pour the egg mixture over all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until you get a dough that can be rolled.
Form dough into a disk, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight if making the dough ahead of time.
Cut the dough in half, and using a generous amount of flour roll the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Place a gently rounded teaspoon of the date paste onto one half of the dough circle and fold over the other half, aligning the two half edges together, to make a half moon. Repeat until all the dough is used.
ETA: Next time, I'll brush the tops of the turnovers with an egg wash to get that glossy brown look.
For a 4-inch cookie, use 2 teaspoons of date filling.
Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool on baking sheet.