OK, OK, so there is no such thing as a healthy cookie. But what about mental health? mine sure improves eating one of these cookies. Especially when I cannot seem to hold one in my hand around my baby boy without him stretching out his little arm towards me, demanding his share. “Do you want some of my cookie, Tom?” Tom firmly shakes his head, then proceeds to stretch his little arm once again, “more! more!”. I get it. He doesn’t one some of my cookie, he wants all of it.

These remind me so much of my mother’s date cookies, which were always my favorites, just without all the white flour, white sugar and obscene amount of fat. The spiral inside the cookies looks pretty and these are a snap to make.

Don’t have any dates? Prefer somthin’ else? Try some strawberry jam sprinkled with shredded coconut and chopped walnuts. Yum.

Easy, healthy date cookies

For the Dough:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
125 gr cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup cold water

Filling:
1 pack (500 gr) dry pitted dates
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts/shredded coconut

Preparation:

1.Place dates in a food processor bowl (roughly chop the dates if they came in block form ). Pour boiling water over the dates and cover tightly. Let sit for 10 minutes, then process until smooth. Done!

2. Scoop date filling out of food processor and clean the bowl. Pour in flour, icing sugar and salt. Add butter cubes and pulse process until the butter is shredded. Gradually add cold water as you go until the mixture picks up into a ball of dough. Magic! I love my food processor!

3. Now, I know many recipes say to put the dough in the fridge for it to chill before working it. I find it harder to work with when it’s cold. I’m weird, but that’s how it is. I prefer to assemble the cookies now, the let them chill before baking them. The theory says that cold butter will yield a crispier dough.

4. Divide dough into 3 parts. On a floured surface, with the help of a rolling pin (a bottle of wine did the job for me for more years than I care to contemplate), flatten each ball of dough into a long, thin sheet, about 15 cm (6 inches) wide, 20 cm (8 inches) long. Spread 1/3 of the date mixture evenly on the sheet and sprinkle with coconut, chopped nuts or any other topping you feel like adding.

5.Gently roll tightly, starting from the short end. Place seam down on a baking  sheet. Repeat with remaining balls. Remember, the dough will be super easy to handle since it ain’t hard and cold. With a sharp knife,mark the approximate place you will cut out each little spiral. Now, if you wish, place baking tray in the fridge for an hour or two.

6. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until the rolls are well baked but have not turned dark. remove from oven and let cool for a hour. Dust generously with icing sugar and cut out your cookies. Place cool cookies in a cookie jar with a tight fitting lid, or any other tightly sealed container.