I love holiday baking. The family traditions, the comforting aromas, the delicious flavors. It gives me all the festive feels. These date pecan pinwheel cookies are the epitome of all of that for me. They remind me of my mom, who bakes them for us every holiday season, and they are a hit with the whole family. I love how unique they are- not your average holiday sugar cookie for sure. But they also come together easily, and look pretty fancy as well! My mom was kind enough to leave me a batch of this cookie dough in the freezer, so I could bake them up myself when the craving hits, which is what I’ve just done now. I love how they get nicely golden brown with a crisp edge, yet maintain a soft and gooey interior that is almost reminiscent of caramel! So heavenly. I highly recommend you add these to your holiday cookie rotation. They would make an excellent addition to a festive cookie swap as well. Happy Holidays, y’all!
Date Pecan Pinwheels:
Filling:
8 oz medjool dates, chopped
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ cup pecans, chopped
Dough:
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
For the filling, add the chopped dates to a saucepan with sugar and water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring and smushing frequently until the mixture is soft and creamy. It’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy. Set aside to cool. Finely chop pecans and reserve for later.
For the dough, cream together butter and sugars in a stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth, then add egg and vanilla until well combined. Sift together the flour, baking soda & salt, and then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet, careful not to over mix. The dough will be quite thick. Divide it into two rounds, and chill for a couple hours in the fridge. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight at this point, but just let it come to room temp a bit when you’re ready to assemble so that it’s easier to roll out.
To assemble and prepare for baking, remove the dough from the fridge. Roll one part out on floured surface into a rectangle (about 5-6” x 11-12”), then spread half of the cooled date filling evenly on the dough. If filling seems too thick, add a little water to thin it out to get a more spreadable consistency. Sprinkle on ¼ cup chopped pecans. Carefully roll up into a log shape with wax paper or plastic wrap. Repeat process for second round of dough, then refrigerate both until they are well chilled through. You may also freeze them at this point until you are ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove dough logs from fridge or freezer, and cut approximately 1/4-1/2" thick cookie slices. Lay on parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until they’re starting to get golden, which will yield a crispy edge and gooey interior. Cool cookies on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy! These are best on the day they are made, as they maintain their crisp edges and gooey interior, but will remain deliciously soft & chewy for the next several days stored in an airtight container.
