Date and Nut Half-moon Pies

Make the dough: In a mixing bowl (using a wooden spoon) or in the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and vegetable shortening together until soft, then beat in the sugar to make a fluffy mixture. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, lemon rind, and nutmeg.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. The resulting dough should be crumbly, but it should hold together when a sample is squeezed lightly. If the dough is too dry to hold together, mix in a few drops of lemon juice, but don’t overdo it -- the dough should not be moist.

Divide the dough in half; form each half into a ball. Wrap the balls of dough and chill them thoroughly, 1 hour or more. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Make the filling: Chop the dates coarsely, or snip them with scissors, dipped frequently in water. Combine the dates in a saucepan with the water and honey or corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is thick. Remove the filling from the heat and add the nuts and lemon juice to taste, 1 1/2 teaspoons or more. Cool the filling.

Shape and fill the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with an oven rack in the center position. Lightly grease one or two baking sheets.

Roll out one portion of dough between sheets of plastic wrap until it is 1/8 inch thick. Lift off the upper sheet of plastic and, using a 3 1/4“ or 3 1/2” cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Spoon a rounded measuring teaspoonful of filling slightly to one side of the center of each round. Fold the pastry over to make a half-moon and crimp the curved edges together with the tines of a fork. Place the pies on a prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Gather and reroll the scraps to make more cookies.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the center of the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are firm and the edges are golden brown. Lift the pies onto a wire rack to cool completely, then store them at room temperature (for a day or two) in a covered container; or refrigerate them for up to two weeks or freeze them for longer storage.

Source: “Mrs. Witty’s Monster Cookies” S(Mrs. Witty’s Monster Cookies): “pp. 116-117” Copyright: “1983” Yield: “20 Cookies” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 148 Calories; 6g Fat (35.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 27mg Cholesterol; 56mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0