These date filled cookies were my favorite of grandma’s treats when I was a kid. My new version is gluten-free, egg-free and has no added sugar. Dried medjool dates provide all the sweetness these cookies need.
One of my grandmothers came from Aleppo, Syria. She cooked amazing, elaborate feasts around the holidays for my large extended family. There were hand made noodles, stuffed zucchini, perfect meatballs and pastries, including these date filled cookies which we called “half moons” – in Arabic they are erass b-adjwah.
These date filled cookies traditionally have a semolina flour (wheat based, not gluten-free) and flour, almost shortbread outside, filled with with a date puree. They are rolled and formed into a crescent. There are many similar pastries from the Middle east with a date filling.
Gluten-Free Half Moons
Over the years I have tried to find a way to make a gluten-free version of these “half moons.” Semolina flour gives the dough a slightly rustic, grainy texture, but semolina comes from wheat. So I have experimented with corn meal to try to create that same texture.
I finally came up with a dough that is pliable enough, can be rolled out and has the right taste and texture. The magic formula is a combination of a gluten-free flour mix, a little corn meal along with cornstarch to help with binding.
A little vegan yogurt (Kite Hill Almond Milk Yogurt highly recommended) worked well to add more moisture. Since gluten-free dough is more difficult to manipulate, I fold the dough creating a pocket, instead of a crescent. Other than the shape, the resemblance is remarkable.
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Flour – I tested this recipe with several different gluten-free flours for baking and it worked best with King Arthur Flour’s Measure for Measure Flour. Cup4Cup (best price usually at Target) and Pamela’s Artisan Blend are similar and should work well too.
If you prefer to mix up your own gluten-free flour, see the notes in the recipe for a simple DIY gluten-free flour blend or my blog post on gluten-free flour mixes. It takes a little extra time, but it is a huge cost saver.
The date filling has just a few ingredients including dates, orange, cinnamon and salt. That’s it, no sugar added! The naturally sweet dates, the tang of orange, pop of cinnamon and salt are a perfect flavor combo. My grandmother added pine nuts but they have gotten out of control expensive, so I leave them out. Chopped walnuts are a good substitution if you like some texture in the filling. Add 1/4 c chopped walnuts to the pureed date mixture.
Rolling Out the Dough
I have tried to provide helpful tips to make sure that your dough is the best consistency for rolling out. Different brands of gluten-free flour and weather may cause different results. So don’t hesitate to work in a little flour if it is very sticky or a little vegan yogurt if it is too dry. Just be sure to add A LITTLE at a time. One teaspoon can make a huge difference.
To avoid adding too much flour, I put the dough on a lightly dusted kitchen silicone mat, then top the dough with a sheet of plastic wrap. This will keep it from sticking to the rolling pin and make your life much easier when making these cookies!
Be sure to check out my full list of gluten-free cookie recipes including my chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free chocolate mint cookies and my most popular gluten-free butter cookies.
Medjool Date Filled Cookies (Gluten-Free)
These gluten-free, no sugar added, medjool date filled cookies have a delicate shortbread pastry with a naturally sweet, dried date filling.
Ingredients
- 1+1Tbsp c gluten-free flour blend* (King Arthur Measure for Measure recommended)
- 2 Tbsp c corn meal
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 Tbsps cold unsalted butter
- 2-4 Tbsp dairy or vegan yogurt (Kite Hill is the best)
Date Filling
- 1 orange
- 6 oz pitted dates (7-8 dates or about ¾ c, tightly packed)
- ¼ c water
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2 pinches salt
- ¼ c chopped walnuts or pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
Make the dough in the food processor (easiest)
- Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
- Cut the butter into cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse in the food processor around 20 times. The mixture will turn to crumbs the size of small pearls. This is not like pie dough. Uniform, small crumbs is what you are looking for.
- Add 3 Tbsps of the yogurt. Run the food processor until the dough pulls together.
- If the dough does not come together, add one teaspoon of yogurt and mix. If is is very sticky (sticks to your fingers easily) add 1 tsp flour and mix.
- Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 10-15 minutes while you make the filling. If your house is cool (70°F or below) you can skip chilling in the fridge. Cover the bowl and leave on the counter.
- This dough is more difficult to handle when it is very cold, so no longer than 15 minutes in the fridge.
Mix the dough by hand
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Cut the butter in with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture turns to crumbs the size of small pearls. No big chunks of butter.
- Mix in 3 Tbsp of the yogurt. It is best to use a wood spoon to press the cream into the dough.
- If the dough is not coming together, dig in with your hands, pressing and kneading. If it sill seems too dry, work in 1 tsp of yogurt. If it is too sticky, work in 1 tsp of flour.
- Dump the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, Fold the plastic over the dough and use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Flatten to a disk and refrigerate 10-15 minutes. If your house is cool (70°F or below) you can skip chilling in the fridge. Cover the bowl and leave on the counter,
- This dough is more difficult to handle when it is very cold, so no longer than 15 minutes in the fridge.
Make the date filling
- Be sure to remove the pits from the dates before weighing or measuring.
- Zest the orange using a microplane. Cut it in half and juice it into a small skillet.
- Add the zest, dates, water, cinnamon and salt.
- Simmer, stirring and mashing the dates, over a medium-low flame until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- The dates should be melting and fall apart easily. If the liquid is gone and the dates are still firm, add 2 Tbsps water and continue simmering.
- Mash the mixture with a fork.
- Once it is mashed, stir in the nuts, if using. Spread it out on a plate to let it cool while you roll out the dough.
Assemble
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Take the plastic off the dough and knead for 1 minute.
- Roll out half dough out between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or on a flour dusted silicone mat with plastic wrap on top. Gluten-free dough is sticky and this makes it easier.
- Roll it to thinner than a pie crust (less than ⅛").
- Cut out just one 3-3½" circle using a cutter or mouth of a wide glass. Before cutting any more, test this one by trying to fold it in half. If it cracks a lot, roll the dough a little bit thinner.
- Place 1 tsp filling onto each circle, fold in half and use your fingers to gently press it closed.
- Cut out the remaining dough and repeat steps 5-6.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. These cookies are not meant to turn brown.
- Cool before eating, the filling is hot!
Be sure to check out my full list of gluten-free cookie recipes
Notes
This recipe was tested with King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour. Cup4Cup and Pamela's Artisan Blend are similar and should work well too.
If using a gluten-free flour blend that does not contain xanthan gum, gluar gum or inulin add 1 tsp to the dry ingredients.
For an easy DIY gluten-free flour blend, combine:
2 c brown rice flour
2/3 c potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
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