Dates and Walnut Cookies

How often do you feel you have created something so original and unique and feeling so proud of yourselves and within a few seconds of Google search,you fall back to the ground with a thud?Let me tell you,it is not a great feeling at all.But for a change,I felt good that even though the combination of Dates and Walnuts in Cakes and cookies is not new,I followed a basic cookie dough recipe and tweaked it to make this cookie and guess what,it came out great too.

It has been a while since I posted any Cookie recipe here even though I end up making it at least once every two weeks.Reason being,I follow a very basic recipe and change flavorings every time which gives me a different tasting cookie but the recipe remains the same.I started by making a basic shortbread cookie recipe but now swear by this recipe from The Yum Blog for the Cinnamon Cookies.

I made this in bulk,about 3 batches for a Blogger meet we had in Chennai[more on that on my next post].It was fun baking batches of cookies back to back and packing them individually.I hope whoever got it liked it :-)

Dates and Walnut Cookies

Ingredients

Dates - 1/3 cup,packed-chopped fine
Walnuts - 1/3 cup,chopped
Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup
Spices - 2 Cloves,1' stick Cinnamon[optional]

Method

Powder the sugar along with the spices[if using].

Cream the butter and powdered sugar till fluffy.

Keep about half a cup of flour aside and knead in the rest.

Add the remaining flour along with the chopped dates and walnuts till you get a smooth dough[adding the dates and nuts before makes it difficult to mix].

If the dough is dry and crumbly,mix in one or two tbsp butter and if it is too sticky,mix in 1 tbsp flour.

Put the dough inside a ziplock bag.
Leave the bag open and slowly press out the dough with a rolling pin so it becomes a rough rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
Turn the bag to the other side as well, while rolling, and occasionally lift the bag from the dough to smooth out the creases. Take care to see no air pockets remain and gently press out any. Seal the Ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least two hours or upto 2 days.
When the dough has chilled enough, take it out. 
Place on a cutting surface and slit the Ziploc bag open. Take the chilled rectangle of dough out, and cut into 1 1/2" squares with a sharp knife after marking them out using a ruler.
Place the squares on a baking sheet lined with parchment and prick them well with a fork.
Bake at 150*C for 20 minutes(That is the normal baking time for cookies of our taste-crispy yet melt in the mouth,you can bake it according to the temperature settings of your oven).

Date and Walnut Cookies are off to Suma's Blog Anniversary event!!

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