Keep the date paste cool and thick; hot filling melts tahini dough and makes the spiral smear.
Tahini shortbread sliced into pinwheels around a cooked, unsweetened date filling.
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Date Tahini Shortbread Pinwheels Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- saucepan
- bowl
- mixer
- rolling pin
- ruler
- sharp knife
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Prepare filling and dough
- Prepare filling and dough: Simmer dates and water covered 8–10 minutes, then mash and cook uncovered until a spoon track stays visible. Spread thinly and cool 30 minutes. Stir butter, tahini and sugar smooth; add flour and salt and mix until cohesive.
Roll the pinwheels
- Roll the pinwheels: Roll dough between parchment into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick and chill 20 minutes. Spread cooled date paste evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border at one long edge. Roll from the opposite long edge using the paper to support the dough; seal the bare edge. Wrap and chill 90 minutes, then cut 24 slices, 1/2 inch thick.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 20–24 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Edges and bases should be pale gold and the centers dry. Whole-batch oven time is 48 minutes for both trays.
Cool the cookies
- Cool the cookies: Rest 10 minutes on each tray, then cool 20 minutes on a rack before packing; the 30-minute cooling allowance includes the tray rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 40 min hands-on + 140 min required chill/rest + 48 min whole-batch oven baking + 30 min cooling/setting = 258 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Tahini changes the fat blend and dough flexibility; a cooked fruit paste creates a true internal layer rather than a cinnamon-sugar swirl.
Technique & texture
Keep the date paste cool and thick; hot filling melts tahini dough and makes the spiral smear.
Finishing & serving
The pinwheels have a crisp rim and soft date spiral; let the center cool completely before eating.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 days | Up to 2 days. Seal fully cooled filled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; the filling gradually softens the crumb. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Prepare the filling fresh. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated cookies. Serve once thawed; reseal unused portions. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this pinwheel dough contain tahini?
Tahini changes the fat blend and dough flexibility; a cooked fruit paste creates a true internal layer rather than a cinnamon-sugar swirl.
Can I spread the date paste hot?
Keep the date paste cool and thick; hot filling melts tahini dough and makes the spiral smear.
Should the spiral be as crisp as the rim?
The pinwheels have a crisp rim and soft date spiral; let the center cool completely before eating.
