Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening or butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour approximate
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound seedless raisins
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar for filling
- 2 tablespoons flour for filling
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 dash salt for filling
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Rolling Pin
Method
- In a saucepan, combine raisins, water, sugar (for filling), flour, lemon juice, and dash of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool completely.
- In a large bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in milk.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to wet mixture to form a soft dough.
- Chill dough for at least 1 hour. Keep dough cold while working—roll out only small portions at a time.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a heavily floured board, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into circles with a cookie cutter.
- Place half the circles on prepared sheets. Add 1 teaspoon raisin filling in the center of each. Top with another circle and seal edges with fingers or fork.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are golden. Cool on wire racks.
Nutrition
Notes
Dough is very soft—always flour the board heavily, keep dough cold, and roll out small portions at a time. Cookies are soft and cake-like, with a jammy raisin center. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.