Pinwheel cookies are fun for everybody, but Date Pinwheel Cookies? They’re just downright delicious fun.
Everyone, I think, has a cookie memory or two tucked away that is so powerful, it has the capability of taking you straight back to childhood and, suddenly, there you are, standing by your grandmother’s side as she prepares something for that child version of you again.
For me, there are two cookies that can take me back to being four years old again
—elephant ears, which my grandmother made just by rolling biscuit dough out until it resembled an elephant’s ear and sprinkling cinnamon sugar on them before baking or frying. The other kind of cookie I hold closest to my heart is this date pinwheel cookie.
My mamaw would make these for our little tea parties together, when we would nosh on these crisp little date pinwheel cookies as we sipped tea from little robin’s egg blue teacups poured from a little robin’s egg blue teapot.
Those memories are so sacred and special to me, and they certainly all come flooding back whenever I make these crisp little date pinwheel cookies for all the people I love. So buttery, so fruity, nutty, and cinnamon-sugar-filled, so invitingly crisp in texture. They fill the home with such enticing aromas, who wouldn’t be whisked right back to childhood?
Why moms, dads, and kids will adore these date pinwheel cookies
Today, two wee blonde girls spied two cylinders of rolled-up cookie dough in wax paper and went, undeniably wild. They know the signs of fun baking about to begin.
“Aunt Wonna’s making cookies, Aunt Wonna’s making cookies!”
And cookies, indeed, Aunt Rhonda was making. And not just any cookies. I came off with the perfect retort. “Mademoiselles Chloe and Zoe, these are not just any cookies, these are the very cookies my mamaw used to make for me for tea parties, date pinwheel cookies! So, our tea party together today will be so much yummy fun, won’t it?”
And, don’t you know, at the mere mention of pinwheels, all faces lit up with glee. Then came the question of, “What’s a date?”
“Well, you know those Fig Newtons cookies you all love?”
“YEAH!”
“Well, the little filling all going round and round in your pinwheel—that filling will taste like the filling of a Fig Newtons cookie because figs and dates, they taste sort of similar, you know. In fact, dates are sweeter.”
“Oh, BOY!!”
And what makes these taste even better than any kind of simple Fig Newtons cookie (I didn’t bother explaining this to children) is that these cookies are filled with a delicious blend of chopped dates, cinnamon, pecans, and sugar. The filling is reduced to form a heavenly paste you can spread all over the sweet cookie dough, roll up, slice into cookies, and bake.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep them in a tin at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze these in airtight freezer containers or bags, separated by layers of wax paper, for up to 3 months. To serve, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature the next day, just before enjoying.
Serving suggestions
These crisp little date-flavored cookies taste wonderful virtually any time of day. They are great to serve with a smoothie, a cup of coffee, or after a lovely little lunch, like Chloe, Zoe, and I had together with these yummy Ham And Cheese Puff Pastry Melts and some yummy sides like these baked nacho-topped Loaded Tater Tots. Lastly, enjoy the cookies with Peach Milkshakes to wash them down.
If you loved these crisp, buttery little date cookies, you’ll love this recipe for Butter Cookies or this iced Cookie Cake, which little ones love just as much.
Date Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup pitted dates chopped (about 8 ounces)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well mixed. Stir in the dry ingredients until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the chopped dates, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens into a paste. Stir in the cinnamon and chopped pecans and let the filling cool completely.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread the cooled date and nut filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along all edges. Starting at one of the long sides, carefully roll the dough into a tight log (be gentle, as the dough will be soft and fragile). Wrap the log in wax paper and refrigerate for at least another hour or overnight to firm up.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F, and slice the chilled log into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place the slices about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
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