October 26, 2015

Pumpkin Date Pinwheels

First Place Cookie - Los Angeles

Pumpkin Date Pinwheels

 

Date Filling:

1 pound moist pitted date, chopped

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup water

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

 

Cookie Dough:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

 

Cook dates, sugar, water, and cinnamon stick in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Add walnuts; stir. Set aside to cool.

Mix butter, pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla thoroughly and set aside. Sift together Gold Medal flour, soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Add flour mixture gradually to butter mixture. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into rectangle shape on wax paper. Spread each rectangle with 1/4 of date mixture. Roll up each rectangle into a log shape starting with wide side. Wrap and freeze at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Slice logs into 1/4 inch slices. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. (Bake a minute or two longer if you prefer a more crisp cookie.) Cool on rack.

-Recipe from Louise, 2015 L.A. County Fair, Gold Medal Flour Cookie Contest