Date and Walnut Thumbprints
Beth LeeThis date thumbprint cookie is a variation of Louisa Shafia's Date and Walnut Filled Cookies. We sped up the method of producing the cookies by making it a thumbprint style cookie instead of a stuffed cookie. We also added rose water and orange blossom water to the dough to complement the cardamom and bring out the orange from the filling.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter or refined coconut oil at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting the cookies after they are baked
For the filling
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts used for filling and sprinkling
- ½ cup Medjool dates pitted and chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Make the dough first as it will need to chill and you can prepare the filling while it does.
- In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, orange blossom water, rose water, and egg and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour(s), salt, cardamom, and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches (three or four if you double the recipe), stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If it doesn't all come together, use your hands for the last bit of kneading to incorporate all of the flour. Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and press it into a disk. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, until firm but still flexible.
Make the Filling
- To make the filling, combine ¼ cup of the walnuts with the dates, cinnamon, orange juice, honey, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture forms a thick paste. Transfer to a plate and let cool to room temperature.
Form and Bake the Cookies
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To make each cookie, wet your hands and break off a walnut-sized piece of the dough. Roll into a ball and then flatten between the palms of your hand to about ¼ inch thick and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Make a hollow in the center of each with your thumb; fill with about ½ teaspoon of the date mixture and then sprinkle some nuts on top. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Refrigerate the cookies for 45 minutes, until firm. While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies for 25 minutes (20 minutes convection), until the undersides are golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Dust the cookies with the powdered sugar if you desire and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Adapted with Sarene Wallace from The New Persian Kitchen by Louisa Shafia, copyright © 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
- This recipe will double easily but we found that the filling, when doubled, was far more than we needed. However, it could easily be eaten by the spoonful or used in another filled cookie like a hamantaschen.
- If you are gluten-free, Louisa Shafia offered this option for the flour: ¾ cup fava bean flour, ¾ cup coconut flour, ½ cup tapioca flour
Nutrition
Calories: 152kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 44mgPotassium: 96mgSugar: 6gVitamin A: 255IUVitamin C: 1.3mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!