Adventures with Rye Part 9: Date-Rye-Cinnamon Cookies

These cookies may be the homeliest cookies you'll ever see, but their looks are deceiving. (Don't be put off by the name either!) In fact, these cookies to me are the homiest cookies (in the best way possible) in the sense that they remind of the cinnamon cookies that my mother used to make when I was growing up. When I first made them about a month ago, the dough (made entirely of rye flour) looked gnarly and the cookies themselves weren't too attractive. But one bite of them took me way back and totally won me over. I photographed them then but having no faith in how they'd taste, got rid of the photos. (Guess you can never judge anything by the way it looks!) Home for Shabbat this week, I decided to try these again, this time adding some white flour to give the cookies a bit better texture, and omitted all the spices except for the cinnamon to give them that childhood feel. I would even up the cinnamon next time. These cookies are made with silan, date honey that is found everywhere, and that's what makes these special. If you can't find it, well.... come to Israel and buy a jar. These are also made with oil, so require just a bowl and a wooden spoon, even your hand if desired. Be aware, the cookies come out crunchier with all rye flour and softer with white flour. They are both delicious either way. Choose your texture. Use leftover cookie crumbs as a pie crust. Assuming there are any leftovers...

Date-Rye-Cinnamon Cookies

1 1/2 cups rye flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup silan
1 egg

Place all of the dry ingredients in a bowl,

and whisk to blend.

and the remaining ingredients,

and stir thoroughly to make a cohesive dough. I chilled the dough overnight out of convenience. You can just bake them off straight away.
Preheat the oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone.

Scoop the dough into teaspoon size balls and place them on the baking sheet. Flatten down the cookies.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until light brown and slightly soft to the touch. Cool and watch them disappear! Shabbat Shalom!