DATE NUT PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, and blend thoroughly.
• Add flour mixture, blending to make a soft dough. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make filling. In a small saucepan, add dates, sugar, and water. Cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Mix in peel and nuts. Cool.
• Divide cookie dough in half. Roll 1/2 into 8x10 rectangle. Spread 1/2 of filling over rolled dough. Beginning at long end, roll dough, jelly roll fashion, and wrap in plastic. Repeat with other half of dough. Refrigerate both rolls several hours or overnight.
• With a thin, sharp knife, slice cookies into 1/4" slices. Place on cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.
• ORANGE-FIG cookies: Make filling of 1-1/4 C figs, 1/4 C sugar, 3/4 C water. Cook approximately 10 minutes, then add 1 tbsp orange peel and 1/2 C finely chopped walnuts. Proceed as above using orange-fig filling instead of date filling.