Date Pastry

Regarding this recipe,it is my all time favorite.Did this recipe a long time back when schooling,when i was around nine years.We had this subject called "Home Economics" in which we learnt about food and hygiene.It was interesting and we did group cooking once in a while.It was then i had my first taste of 'Date pastry'.Made at home with my mom's assistance and it was a huge hit.But unfortunately lost the recipe after that.During this fasting a very good friend of mine told me that she made date pastry as there was so much of dates at home.I got excited! Got the recipe from her then and there and made a batch of it the very day..and everyone loved it!so here I am posting a favorite recipe of mine. :)

Ingredients:

1 Kg all purpose flour
5 tbsp baking powder
500 gm butter
500gm sugar(grind it in a mixer for one to two minutes)
4 eggs(keep one yolk to glaze)
1 tsp vanilla essence
Drop of almond essence

For the dates layer:
1Kg dates
100 gm cashew nuts chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
Drop of almond essence


Method:

1.Pre-heat the oven.
2.Grind the dates in the mixer grinder after having added the two essence.
3.Add the chopped nuts into the dates mixture.
   Note: if your dates are dry soak them in water for half an hour and then grind them.
4.Now flatten the date mixture between two sheets of grease paper.
5.Mix the rest of the ingredients to form a dough and divide the dough into two.
6.Line a baking tray with grease paper.
7.Flatten one dough on the baking tray.
8.Now add the date layer.
9.Then again flatten the other dough on the date layer.
10.Glaze it with egg yolk.
11.Set the oven to 180 C.The hotness varies in oven.So adjust according to yours.
12.Bake till golden brown.