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Cookies add rustic flavor to holiday cookie tray

These unusual cookies–quite different from typical holiday fare–are baked like bars, then covered in confectioners’ sugar and rolled in rustic barrel shapes while they’re still warm. The recipe is adapted from “A Baker’s Field Guide to Christmas Cookies,” by Dede Wilson. The bars will keep three weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.

Date chews

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Yield: 36 cookies

1 cup packed pitted dates

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup walnut halves

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place dates and flour in food processor; pulse to combine, then process until dates are finely chopped. Scrape mixture into a large bowl. Add walnuts to food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Return date-flour mixture to processor; add baking powder and salt. Quickly pulse to break up the sticky dates and create a uniform mixture.

2. Beat eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add about one-third of the date-flour mixture; mix on low speed. Gradually add remaining date-flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Spread mixture evenly into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.

3. Bake until the mixture is a light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Place pan on rack to cool 5 minutes. Cut into 36 bars while warm.

4. Pour confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. While the cookies are warm, roll each square in sugar to coat completely, shaping squares into rough barrel shapes. Place each cookie on rack to cool completely.

Nutrition information per cookie:

75 calories, 26% of calories from fat, 2 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 29 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber