Anise Scented Fig And Date Swirls Recipes

ANISE-SCENTED FIG AND DATE SWIRLS

Steps:

• In a blender puree figs and dates with water and 2 tablespoons refined sugar. In a bowl whisk together flour, anise, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mix-er beat together butter, cream cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup refined sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, yolk, and flour mixture and beat until a dough forms. Form dough into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in wax paper, 1 hour, or until firm enough to handle.
• On a lightly floured sheet of wax paper with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 13- by 10-inch rectangle, about 1/3 inch thick. Drop fig mixture by spoonfuls onto dough and gently spread an even layer over dough. Starting with a long side, roll dough jelly-roll fashion into a 13-inch log, using wax paper as a guide. Roll log in raw sugar to coat. Chill log, wrapped in wax paper, 4 hours, or until firm.
• (After the dough has been formed into a log it can be kept in the refrigerator for one week or the freezer for one month. Thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator until sliceable, about four hours. The baked cookies keep in airtight containers at room temperature for four days.)
• Preheat oven to 350° F. and lightly butter 2 baking sheets.
• Cut log into 1/3-inch-thick rounds and arrange about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 13 minutes, and transfer to racks to cool. The baked cookies keep in airtight containers at room temperature for four days.

FIG SWIRLS

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Pulse butter, cream cheese, yolk, and vanilla in a food processor until smooth, then add flour mixture and pulse until dough just forms a ball.
• Halve dough and form each half into a roughly 6- by 2-inch rectangle. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Make filling:
• Purée figs, honey, juice, zest, and cinnamon in cleaned food processor until almost smooth.
• Make logs:
• Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 10- by 8-inch rectangle (about 1/3 inch thick), long side facing you. Remove top sheet of wax paper and gently spread one fourth of fig mixture over bottom half of dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Using wax paper as an aid, roll dough, jelly-roll style, halfway, enclosing fig mixture. Flip dough, with wax paper. Remove paper. Spread with one third of remaining fig mixture and roll in same manner, to form an S-shaped log. Make another log. Chill logs, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Bake cookies:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cut logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and arrange slices about 2 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheets. Bake until pastry is pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.