For many people, there is a mental image of what a cookie should be. They should be round! But, the first cookies derived from sweetened breads. As a result, for this week's round of the 2012 Cookie Challenge, the kitchens of Full Moon Cuisine wanted to take the cookie back to its roots, with a simple, easy, satisfying, and easy recipe. Here's what you'll need:

- 2 cups dates (pitted and chopped)
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (at room temp)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup walnuts (toasted and chopped)

Note: This recipe will make approximately 1 1/2 dozen cookies

To begin, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. In a dry pan on the stove on medium heat, toast your walnuts. Move them around with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes (until you can smell the nuttiness), then remove them to a bowl. Next, bring the 1/3 cup of water to a boil (you can use a glass measuring cup and microwave the water, or use a pot on the stove), pour the water over the chopped/pitted dates, stir, and set to the side to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar, then add in the eggs (one at a time). After, add in the dates (and any water remaining in the bowl), stirring to combine. In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda) and then add the mix to your wet ingredients (1/3 at a time, mixing to combine each time). Finally, stir in your walnuts.

Pour the mix into a 9x9" greased baking dish lined with parchment paper (this will make it easier to take your cookies out when done). Bake your cookies for 45 minutes, then allow to cool before cutting them into bars.

The cookie has come a long way since it first began life as a form of sweetened bread. By bringing it back to its origins, you can better appreciate all of the varieties that now exist. Fruits and nuts acted as the first flavorings in cookies, and these dense, chewy bars allow their tastes to shine through. To help celebrate the history of the cookie, the kitchen will be staying open late tonight. Care to place an order?

Want to know what this challenge is all about? Check out my journal and feel free to send in recipes for cookies! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3096204/