Pinwheel Cookies with Poppy Seed and Date Filling

These pinwheel cookies were shared with me years ago by an Israeli friend, and I still remember being surprised by the addition of orange juice in the dough. Later I learned it’s quite common in Israeli baking — it adds a lightness and a subtle aroma. The result is an incredibly tender, crumbly dough wrapped around sweet, rich fillings. Slice, bake, and enjoy 

Note: This recipe includes two filling options — poppy seed or date. You can choose one of them 

Ingredients

For the dough

• 225 g butter (room temperature)

• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 3/4 cup orange juice (180 ml)

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (120 ml)

• 4 1/2 cups flour (560 g)

• 1 tsp baking powder

For the poppy seed filling

• 1 cup sweet poppy seed filling (sold in Russian/Polish stores)

• 1/2 cup raisins

• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

For the date filling

• 1 cup date paste

• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Steps

Dough

1. Beat the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla

2. Add orange juice and vegetable oil, mix well

3. Add flour and baking powder and form a soft dough

4. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 40 minutes

5. Roll out chilled dough into a thin rectangle (2–3 mm) on a floured surface

6. Spread a layer of filling, then sprinkle with raisins and/or nuts

7. Roll into logs and cut small slits on top

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes

9. Let cool, dust with powdered sugar if desired, and slice into pieces