Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the corn meal, flour, baking powder and salt. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well combined. Add in the extracts, orange zest and five-spice powder. Add flour mixture, beating on low speed until just combined. Fold in dates and almonds.
Transfer mixture to the center of prepared pan. Form dough into a rectangle approximately 15-inches long, 4- inches wide and 1-inch thick. (The dough will be sticky, so flour your hands first). Bake in the center of oven for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick pieces.
Lower the oven heat to 300°F. Place cookies back on wire rack that has been fitted onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through cooking, until slices are just turning brown around the edges. Cool completely. Dip in melted white chocolate. Makes approximately 16 large cookies.
