Date Tart Cookies Recipes

GRANDMA'S DATE-FILLED COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in vanilla and eggs until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour and baking soda until well combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Dough will be soft. Divide dough into 4 pieces; flatten each piece, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until dough is firm and cold.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix Filling ingredients. Heat to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is darkened in color and thickens slightly. Pour filling mixture into small bowl; refrigerate uncovered until ready to use (mixture will thicken as it cools).
• Heat oven to 375°F. Remove 1 piece of chilled dough from refrigerator, and unwrap. On work surface generously sprinkled with flour, roll out dough with floured rolling pin to 1/8 inch thick. Using floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. In half of the rounds, cut out and remove 1-inch round or desired shape of hole from center. Place whole rounds on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Spoon 1 generous teaspoonful cooled filling onto center of each round; top with cut out dough round. With fingertips or floured fork, press edges of dough to seal. Return dough centers and leftover dough to refrigerator for rerolling.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, repeat steps on assembling and baking with each portion of refrigerated dough, refrigerated leftover dough and remaining filling.
• Cool cookies completely, about 1 hour. Store covered in airtight container.

DATE BUTTER TART

Steps:

• Make the pâte sucrée: Whisk the cream and egg yolk together in a small bowl. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter on medium speed until you have a coarse meal. (Or use a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse meal.) Gradually add the cream and yolk and mix until just combined. Do not overwork the dough. Transfer to a large work surface and bring it together with your hands to incorporate completely. Shape it into a 1-inch disc and put in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up a little. Place it on a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle a little flour over the dough and roll it out into a ¼-inch-thick circle, flouring as necessary. Starting at one side, roll and wrap the dough around the rolling pin to pick it up. Unroll the dough over a 10-inch tart pan. Gently fit the dough loosely into the pan, lifting the edges and pressing the dough into the corners with your fingers. To remove the excess dough, roll the rolling pin lightly over the top of the tart pan for a nice, clean edge. Chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork and line the tart shell with a few coffee filters opened out, or with a piece of parchment paper. Fill the lined tart shell with beans or pie weights and bake 15 minutes, until set. Take the tart out of the oven and gently lift out the paper and beans. Return to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is an even golden brown. Set aside on a rack to cool completely.
• Make a vertical slit in each date and carefully remove the pit. Use your fingers to press the dates back into their natural shape. Place the dates, slit side down, in concentric circles in the tart shell, leaving ½ inch between each date.
• Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the vanilla-streaked butter and the vanilla pod to the pan and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Discard the vanilla pod.
• Whisk the eggs and 2/3 cup sugar together in a bowl. Whisk in the flour and salt and stir in the warm butter to incorporate.
• Pour the batter over the dates in the tart shell. Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake 30 minutes, until the filling puffs up, browns and is set. Cool the tart at least 20 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

DATE TART COOKIES

Steps:

• COOKIE DOUGH: In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy; beat in eggs and vanilla.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, wheat germ, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly.
• Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until easy to handle (at least 2 hours) for up to 3 days. Meanwhile, prepare date filling.
• DATE FILLING: In a small pan, combine all the ingredients except the vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing with a spooon, until mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in vanilla.
• Let cool; then cover and refrigerate.
• COOKIE ASSEMBLY: Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Take out 1/3 of the dough, leaving remaining dough in the refrigerator. On a well-floured board, roll out dough to 1/16-inch thickness; cut out with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Repeat with remaining dough, rolling and cutting one portion at a time.
• Place half the cookies slightly apart on greased baking sheets; spoon a heaping teaspoonful of filling into each. Cover each with another cookie and press edges together with a floured fork. Decoratively slash top, if desired.
• Bake in a 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to racks and let cool. Store airtight.

CHEWY DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg; mix well. Combine the flours, lemon zest, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in dates., Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.