Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls Recipe #176063
These cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly. I tried them last night and they are delicious if you love sweet spices and dates/figs. Yum! From Epicurious. Start to Finish: 6 hours (includes chilling time)
1 hour | 40 min prep
3 dozen cookies
- 1 cup packed soft dried fig, stemmed and coarsely chopped (8 oz)
- 1 cup packed pitted dates, trimmed and coarsely chopped (7 oz)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons anise seeds, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup granulated raw sugar, such as turbinado
- Purée figs and dates with water and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until almost smooth.
- Whisk together flour, anise, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter, cream cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and yolk until combined well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined.
- Halve dough and form each half into a rectangle. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
- Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 9- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1/3 inch thick. Remove top sheet of wax paper and drop half of fig mixture by spoonfuls onto dough, then gently spread in an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Starting with a long side and using wax paper as an aid, roll up dough jelly-roll style into a log. Roll log in raw sugar to coat completely. Make another log in same manner. Chill logs, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and arrange slices about 2 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, 15 to 17 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool.
- Logs can be chilled up to 3 days.
- Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature, 1 week.
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5 stars