Date Filled Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Pastry
1 cup sour cream (250ml)
350 g self raising flour
200 g margarine or 200 g butter
Filling
1 (500 g) container date spread
variations
500 g pitted dates
2 -6 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar mixture
6 -9 tablespoons plain vanilla halva (NOT halva spread)

Preparation

Mix the pastry ingredients well to form a nice soft smooth dough.
Form ball and wrap in the paper left from margarine and refrigerate for an hour(or stick in freezer for 10 minutes,or -- don't chill at all if in a rush!).
Divide into three parts (each will create a \"roll up\").
On a clean,floured surface roll to a large rectangle (about 30-40cm x 20-30cm), around 2-3mm thick, with the long end parallel to you.
*TIP: roll the end closest to you slightly thinner and roll up from this side-this ensures pastry gets baked all the way through.
With a long spatula spread a third of the date spread evenly over the pastry, leaving a 5-10mm margin all around.
Optional additions before rolling:.
*cut up the date \"block\" into small pieces (I usually just tear little bits off by hand) and distribute a third over the date spread.
*sprinkle with around a teaspoon of cinnamon-and some sugar if desired.
*This is a delicious touch: crumble 2-3 tablespoons of plain vanilla Halva over the date spread.
Repeat with the other 2 parts of pastry.
*Now roll up tightly,place on baking paper lined cookie sheet (curve the roll if it came out too long) and bake for about 10-20 minutes -DEPENDS ON YOUR OVEN-until golden.
Remove tray from oven and leave to cool slightly.
With a sharp serated edge knife cut diagonaly into 2-3 cm slices and leve to cool completely.
You can sprinkle with powdered suger if desired.
Store in airtight cookie containers.