These are the cookies I grew up on. My Savta also grew up on them; in her childhood, they were round hand-shaped biscuits individually filled with sticky date filling. But with time, my grandmother and many like her decided that it would be easier to roll out the dough flat, spread the filling in a single thin layer, and then roll up the dough, shaping cookie logs that would be cut after baking. My Savta would keep uncut baked loaves of date cookies wrapped in aluminum foil in her freezer for when she had company. She would pack them in her bag when she traveled and never show up anywhere without date cookies to hand.

TIPS: The dough is soft, and the filling is sticky, which sometimes means that spreading the filling on the rolled-out dough is tricky and possibly even frustrating. Here are a few tips:

• Take it easy and take your time.
• Start by dropping small amounts of filling all over the surface of the dough.
• Use an offset spatula sprayed with baking spray to spread each bit of filling.
• If all else fails, spread the filling on its own between two layers of sprayed baking paper and then peel off one layer of paper and use the other to flip the now-spread filling over the dough.
• If the dough tears, don’t worry about it; it will still taste amazing, and chances are, once rolled up, you won’t see the tears at all.

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INGREDIENTS:

For the cookie dough:

• 125g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 225g unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature, diced
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• Juice of half a lemon
• 380g (3 cups) plain flour

For the filling:

• 400g (14 ounces) pitted dates
• 400ml (1 2/3 cups) boiling water
• 100g (3 1/2 ounces) walnuts, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Zest of half an orange (optional)

METHOD:

For the dough:

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter (or margarine) and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the salt and egg and beat until combined. Add the lemon juice and beat once more, then add the flour and beat until just combined.
2. Knead and chill: Dump the contents of the mixing bowl onto a clean work surface and knead a couple of times until smooth. Divide the dough into two equal portions, shape into disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap or baking paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 3 days. (You can also freeze the raw dough for up to a month. Thaw completely before using.)
3. Make the filling: Soak the dates in boiling water for 30 minutes until softened. Drain well and squeeze out any excess water. Place the dates, chopped nuts, cinnamon, and orange zest in a food processor and pulse until a rough paste forms (or smoother if you prefer).
4. Preheat the oven: Heat to 160°C (325°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
5. Roll out the dough: Between two sheets of baking paper or on a well-floured mat, roll out one portion of dough into a 20x30cm (13 x 9 inch) rectangle, about ⅛ cm (¼ inch) thick.
6. Add the filling: Spread half the filling over the dough (see tips), leaving a border on all sides. Starting with the long side, roll up jelly-roll style.
7. Shape and score: Place the roll on the baking tray. Use a sharp knife to make shallow indentations every 1 cm (½ inch) across the top. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
8. Bake: Place both cookie rolls on the tray, spaced apart. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.
9. Slice: Cut the cookies along the scored lines while still slightly warm. Let cool completely.

MAKE AHEAD:

Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for 3–4 days. These cookies also freeze brilliantly.