Macadamia Date Roll Cookies – Perfect Christmas Cookies

Date Roll Cookies are a Christmas tradition in my family. The sweet and nutty filling wrapped up in butter-based cookie dough just melts in the mouth. So delicious you can’t stop eating. This cookie uses macadamia but pecans or walnuts make an equally delicious combination with dates.

Macadamia Date Roll Cookies

Collaboration with 6 other Food Bloggers for Christmas Cookies

Since this month is all about the holidays, I and my food blogger friends thought we’d come up with some Christmas Cookies for you. Here are 6 Festive Cookies that are absolutely amazing. And they do include two no-bake cookies as well as a gluten-free cookie recipe in there. So now no complaining you have a good excuse to try one of them.  Don’t forget to look for the links below

What is the one thing you remember most about Christmas from your childhood?

Is it the presents? Santa? The decorations? Christmas Dinner? For me, it’s the baking with my mom. I think I told you before, as a single mom the two things she did to raise us is sewing and cooking/baking. She’d take lots of orders during Christmas time just so she could give us the Christmas she dreamed for us. Gosh, I cannot imagine how hard she worked just so Santa could bring us the gifts we asked for. She hated to see us disappointed and pushed her to do so much more.

These are Date Roll cookies and while the nut often changes, the dates remain the same. I’m sure they’d taste amazing with figs or apricots as well but I’ve always used dates and that’s because mom always used dates. I remember these were so popular that she made buckets of these. I’d help to paint the red and green stripes and that’s why they remind me of mom and Christmas even more.

Macadamia Date Roll Cookies – Perfect Holiday Cookie Jars

Christmas in Israel

Despite being so far away from Christmas here in Israel where we do celebrate Christmas; I share with my kids and raise them with the Christmas spirit doing the same things mom did. I like remembering her by baking with the kids; makes me feel like a better mother.

Macadamia date roll cookie dough.

These are really easy to make; just follow the process I’ve given you closely. The dough is really simple and you can see in the video. I don’t use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar because it’s so effortless and takes 3 minutes.  Let the cookie dough chill when I tell you to; so they are easy to work with. Mom always said – A CHILLED COOKIE DOUGH IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Macadamia Date Roll Cookies – Perfect Holiday Cookies

Give them a Christmas Make-Over.

As you can see these make great Christmas Gift Jars. Perfect treats for the holiday. And to take them one step further I even gave them a Christmas Make Over with these red and green stripes. I used edible gel colors diluted with some water. You can use supermarket brand water-based colors for this job. No big fuss with which colors to use here.

Macadamia Date Roll Cookies – Perfect Holiday Cookies

Easy Macadamia Date Roll Cookies – Perfect for the holidays

Recipe –  Macadamia Date Roll Cookies (Save/Pin)

Tools

• Food Processor
• Baking Bowls
• Whisk / Spatula
• Rolling Pin
• Baking Trays

These will make perfect cookies jar gifts for this holiday!

Macadamia Date Roll Cookies for Christmas Jar Cookies

Ingredients

For the dough

• 250 grams / 2 cups  – all purpose flour
• 200 grams – confectioners sugar/icing sugar
• 170 grams – unsalted butter
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the Filing

• 120 grams macadamia
• 300 grams dates
• 1/4 tsp mixed spices (optional)

Extra

• Egg wash – 1/2 egg with 2 tbsp water

Method

Prepare Cookie Dough

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt set aside
• Add vanilla to the egg – set aside.
• Cream butter and confectioners sugar until creamy
• Add egg mix- mix until well combined
• Next, add flour in two batches – mix until well combined
• Once well combined – divide dough into two or three batches and form discs
• Wrap discs in cling wrap to chill well.

Prepare Filling

• In a food processor add the nuts and spices – pulse to coarse breadcrumb consistency
• Remove the nut mixture – set aside.
• Deseed from the dates and add them to the food processor.
• Pulse until broken into tiny pieces as shown in the video.
• Now add the nut mixture back into the food processor with the dates
• Pulse until it all comes together
• Take a little mixture into your hand, you should be able to roll into a ball.
• If not pulse some more – then set the mixture aside.

Make the date rolls

• This is fairly simple as long as your dough is well chilled and mixture can be rolled into logs.
• Take a little date mixture into your hand – form a ball then roll it into a log.
• You want thin logs so the resulting cookies will be delicate and pretty.
• Do not make them very long – they are easier to handle in lengths of 10 to 15 inches.

Assemble the date roll cookies

• Ensure the dough is really well chilled.
• Roll dough into a sheet as shown in the video
• Place a date log on the sheet at one end.
• Use a tiny amount of water to help stick the dough together
• Wrap the dough into a log.
• Place the rolls onto a baking sheet with Parchment Paper
• Place the rolls back into the fridge –
• Cover tray with cling wrap to avoid them getting too dry.

Cut and bake the date roll cookies

• Preheat oven at 190 C / 380 F
• Once chilled the logs are easier to handle.
• Cut them into two-inch pieces – I use a ruler so they are all same size
• Brush with egg wash  OR
• Create red and green Christmas stripes
• Sprinkle some granulated sugar on them
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 9 to 10 minutes.
• Once baked let them cool 10 minutes before you move them to a baking rack.
• Cool completely before you place them in a cookie jar.

Easy Macadamia Date Roll Cookies – Perfect for the holidays

Finally here are the links to the rest of the cookies in the collage above.

• Holiday White Chocolate Mini Popcorn Balls – by Gloria Duggan  of Homemade & Yummy
• Gingerbread Cookies – by Melissa Radcliffe of My Wife Can Cook
  
• No-Bake Cinnamon Peanut Butter Cranberry Cookies – By Arlene Braun Mobley of Flour on my Face
  
• Gluten Free Spiced Cookie Brittle – by Sarah Jane Parker of The Fit Cookie
  
• No Bake Chocolate Cranberry Cookie – by Kirsten Burrows of Treat yourself Sweeter.
  And of course – My Macadamia Date Roll Cookies  

Macadamia Date Roll Cookies

Date Rolls Cookies are a Christmas tradition in my family. The sweet and nutty filling wrapped up in butter-based cookie dough just melts in the mouth. So delicious you can't stop eating. This cookie uses macadamia but pecans or walnuts make an equally delicious combination with dates.

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, High Tea

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: Date Roll Cookies Recipe, Macadamia Date Roll Cookies

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Adjust Servings Here: 36 cookies

Calories: 131kcal

Author: Veena Azmanov

Ingredients

For the dough

• 250 grams All purpose flour
• 200 grams Confectioners sugar / icing sugar
• 170 grams Unsalted butter
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla

For the Filing

• 120 grams Macadamia
• 300 grams Dates
• 1/4 tsp Mixed spices optional

Extra

• Egg wash - 1/2 egg with 2 tbsp water

Metric - US customary

Instructions

Prepare Cookie Dough

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt set aside
• Add vanilla to the egg - set aside.
• Cream butter and confectioners sugar until creamy
• Add egg mix- mix until well combined  
• Next, add flour in two batches - mix until well combined 
• Once well combined - divide dough into two or three batches and form discs
• Wrap discs in cling wrap to chill well.

Prepare filling

• In a food processor add the nuts and spices - pulse to coarse breadcrumb consistency
• Remove the nut mixture - set aside.
• Deseed from the dates and add them to the food processor.
• Pulse until broken into tiny pieces as shown in the video.
• Now add the nut mixture back into the food processor with the dates
• Pulse until it all comes together
• Take a little mixture into your hand, you should be able to roll into a ball.
• If not pulse some more - then set the mixture aside.

Make date rolls

• This is fairly simple as long as your dough is well chilled and mixture can be rolled into logs. 
• Take a little date mixture into your hand - form a ball then roll it into a log.
• You want thin logs so the resulting cookies will be delicate and pretty.
• Do not make them very long - they are easier to handle in lengths of 10 to 15 inches.

Assemble the date roll cookies

• Ensure the dough is really well chilled.
• Roll dough into a sheet as shown in the video
• Place a date log on the sheet at one end.
• Use a tiny amount of water to help stick the dough together
• Wrap the dough into a log.
• Place the rolls onto a baking sheet with Parchment Paper
• Place the rolls back into the fridge -
• Cover tray with cling wrap to avoid them getting too dry.

Cut and bake the date roll cookies

• Preheat oven at 190 C / 380 F
• Once chilled the logs are easier to handle.
• Cut them into two-inch pieces - I use a ruler so they are all same size
• Brush with egg wash  OR
• Create red and green Christmas stripes
• Sprinkle some granulated sugar on them
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 9 to 10 minutes.
• Once baked let them cool 10 minutes before you move them to a baking rack.
• Cool completely before you place them in a cookie jar.

Detailed Video on YouTube - Subscribe for more videos

Nutrition Facts

Macadamia Date Roll Cookies

Amount Per Serving (31 g)

Calories 131 Calories from Fat 59

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6.6g 10%

Saturated Fat 2.9g 15%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 17mg 6%

Sodium 36mg 2%

Potassium 0mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 17.6g 6%

Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4%

Sugars 10.9g

Protein 1.5g 3%

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0%

Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Must have cookie jar recipe collection by Veena Azmanov