Farm Family Recipes

• - 2 cups, Medjool Dates, pitted
• - 1/3 cup Orange Juice
• - 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
• - 1 stick Butter, room temp.
• - 4 oz. Cream Cheese, room temp.
• - ½ cup Sugar
• - 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• - 1 extra large Egg Yolk
• - 1 ¾ cup Flour
• - 1 ½ teaspoons Anise Seeds, ground
• - ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
• - ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• - ½ teaspoon Salt
• - For topping: ½ cup Turbinado or Demerara Sugar

Preparation In a food processor blend together dates, juice and zest until creamy. Set aside. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together butter, cream cheese and sugar until light & fluffy, 3 minutes. Add vanilla and yolk. Blend well scraping sides of the bowl. In a separate mixing bowl blend the remaining dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture to fully incorporate. Divide dough into half. Using rolling pin roll dough into 7” X 9“ rectangles. If dough is sticky roll between wax paper. Divide date filling between the rectangles. Smooth with a spatula to make an even layer of filling leaving a ¼ inch border around the edges. Starting with the long side roll up the pinwheels jellyroll style using the wax paper as a guide. Roll logs in raw sugar to coat completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in freezer or refrigerator until very firm. About 2-4 hours or overnight. To Bake Preheat oven to 350 degrees On a work surface with a sharp knife slice off 1/3 inch slices from rolls. Arrange on lined sheet pans about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Cool on racks. Store in airtight containers once cool for up to 10 days.