Date Filled Cookies (Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Grain and Refined Sugar Free)

By Irene Shaver @hhwife
I remember going to my aunt's house on a visit to Holland when I was a little girl.  She must have been looking after me for the day as we spent some time together baking cookies.  I loved how "fancy" they were with a sweet filling in between the dough and then sealing them together with the end of a fork.  I believe her recipe used raisins and would have used a wheat flour but this is my best interpretation and alteration from a childhood memory.
I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did.
Ingredients (approximately 15 cookies)
For the Filling
  • 1 1/2 cups dates
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 8-10 drops liquid stevia (optional)

 For the Dough
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey, agave or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup coconut flour


 Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In small sauce pan combine dates, water, vanilla, cinnamon and stevia.  Cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes and puree until smooth.  Set aside.
  3. In a medium size pot combine water and honey.   Bring to a boil and remove from heat and place in a mixing bowl.  
  4. Add vanilla, salt, tapioca starch, apple sauce and coconut flour to the mixing bowl and stir until completely blended and turned into a dough.
  5. Roll dough and cut out circle shapes.  I just used a drinking class.
  6. Place  about 7 circles on a cookie tray.  Add 1 tablespoon of date mixture onto the center of the circles.    Add another circle on the top of pinch in the sides together.  Using a fork make lines crimp the edges together.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.