1-cup shortening
2-cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 1/2-teaspoon soda 
1/2-cup warm water
1-teaspoon vanilla
1-teaspoon salt
4-cups flour

FILLING:
1-cup dates or raisins, chopped
1/2-cup sugar
1-cup water
2-Tablespoons flour
1-Tablespoon lemon juice 
1/2-cup chopped nuts (opt.)

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat well.  Dissolve
soda in water; 
add to creamed mixture. 
Stir in vanilla. Stir salt and flour into creamed mixture.  Drop
dough onto greased cookie sheet;
make small indention in each cookie.  Fill each cookie with 1
teaspoon of filling and drop small amount of cookie dough over
filling. 
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.