Cookies With Dates

Cookies with Dates have a wonderful combination of flavours. Orange zest and dates go perfectly and they take you to the next level when they are filled in pistachio flavoured cookie dough.

We have started to count down for 2010. Everyone has been thinking of the good and bad points of the leaving year these days. When you turn on the TV, you see several programs on the events of 2009 and all people have wishes for the new year.

How was 2009 for my part? I was planning to create this blog at this time last year(2008). After discussing several things of the blog with hubby (thanks a million my dear for your help), we released Give Recipe in the first weeks of 2009. I remember how excited I got when I received the first comment. Now there are over 2000 comments in my blog, but I still get excited by a new one. Thank you everyone for commenting on my posts, I appreciate them much. The number of the posts is 153 with this one, and Give Recipe’s character has been getting more and more clear through these posts. At the beginning I wasn’t aware of how big the place of Give Recipe in my life would be, but I’ve realized before long that there isn’t a single day I don’t think of it. Also, I’ve had the chance of learning about the world of food blogs since the starting of Give Recipe. I have many blogger friends and I’ve learnt lots of new dishes from them so far. As I’m working as a teacher, I’ve been so busy with my students and school works for some months. That’s why I can’t find enough time to follow my favorite food blogs and commenting on them every time. But I’m trying to visit them whenever I have some time. I’m looking forward to Winter break to have more time to catch up what my friends are doing in their blogs.

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The other nice event for me in 2009 was the birth of my niece, the cutest baby around the world. I love her so much that my eyes get full of tears whenever I look at her photo. I wish her all the best.

To say a sweet goodbye to 2009, I made these cookies with dates. The best thing I love in them is the orange flavour. The cubes of orange zest are like little gifts hidden in the cookies, so don’t leave them out.

Happy new year to everyone!

For the filling mixture, remove the seeds of dates and wait them in hot water for some minutes so that they can be chopped easier.

Put the dates into a mini chopper, add hot water and orange juice and chop them. If it’s still so dry, add a little more hot water and mix together until combined well. Add hazelnut and orange zest cubes in this mixture.

Sift the flour on the counter. Add vanilla, pistachio, baking powder and confectioner’s sugar on it.  In the middle of the flour, toss the butter cubes and egg white. Knead this mixture well until it’s not sticky and soft enough.

Lay the baking sheet on an oven tray.

Preheat the oven at 350F.

Take walnut sized pieces from the dough, flatten them out, put enough filling mixture in them and roll them in your hands. Place the cookies on the baking sheet. Bake them for 20 minutes and take out from oven. Let them cold.

You can keep these cookies with dates in jars for a week. Put some orange zest slices in the jar if you like. It gives a fresh smell to the cookies.

Cookies With Dates

• Author: zerrin
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 13 minutes
• Total Time: 38 minutes

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup ground pistachio
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 egg white
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature and chopped in cubes

For the filling mixture

• 1 orange zest, sliced in cubes
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 20 dates
• 3 tbsp ground hazelnut
• 2 tbsp hot water

Instructions

1. For the filling mixture, remove the seeds of dates and wait them in hot water for some minutes so that they can be chopped easier.
2. Put the dates into a mini chopper, add hot water and orange juice and chop them. If it’s still so dry, add a little more hot water and mix together until combined well.
3. Add hazelnut and orange zest cubes in this mixture.
4. Sift the flour on the counter. Add vanilla, pistachio, baking powder and confectioner’s sugar on it.
5. In the middle of the flour, toss the butter cubes and egg white. Knead this mixture well until it’s not sticky and soft enough.
6. Lay the baking sheet on an oven tray.
7. Preheat the oven at 350F.
8. Take walnut sized pieces from the dough, flatten them out, put enough filling mixture in them and roll them in your hands. Place the cookies on the baking sheet.
9. Bake them for 13 minutes and take out from oven. Let them cold.
10. You can keep these in jars for a week. Put some orange zest slices in the jar if you like. It gives a fresh smell to the cookies.