Old Fashioned Raisin Filled Cookies

Here’s an old-fashioned Christmas time treat that my extended family always looks forward to. My husband’s beloved aunt made them for years end years, but she recently transitioned to an assisted living facility and no longer has access to a kitchen so she handed the torch to me.

This recipe makes 35 huge sandwich cookies, which is not a problem for our large extended family, but you may want to consider scaling the recipe down if you don’t need quite so many. By the way, one of these cookies and a cup of coffee or tea make an excellent breakfast.

Forget about rolling the dough on a floured surface. It’s much neater to roll between two layers of parchment or wax paper. I rolled this dough to 1/8-inch thickness using rolling guides to ensure my dough is exactly the same thickness throughout.

See how easily the parchment releases from the dough? Again, no extra flour making a mess everywhere.

I cut my dough with a 3-inch round cutter. The cookies will spread a bit in the oven so you don’t want to make them any bigger than this.

To ensure each of the cookies end up the same size, I use a #50 scoop to portion the filling. NOTE how filling in the photo isn’t overly juicy - you may need to drain yours a bit before using. Too much liquid in the filling will make the cookies bottoms soggy.

Time to add a 2nd disk of dough for the top and press it down slightly to spread the filling a bit. Don’t go too far - you don’t want the filling to ooze out.

Gently press the edges together to seal the dough - no need for water or egg wash to glue the disks together.

If you want to be fancy, you can do a little crimp action with your fingers. Or you can go “old school” and crimp the edges with a fork. I’m feeling fancy today. Use a toothpick to make a little vent hole in the center of each cookie and chill for at least 15 minutes before baking.

The cookies puff and spread quite a bit in the oven so don’t put more than 8 on a half sheet pan (5 or 6 if you use a smaller cookie sheet).

Cool completely and enjoy! Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3hxflWk

• rolling guides https://amzn.to/3587cCP

• parchment sheets https://amzn.to/3uM1G6o

• round cutter set https://amzn.to/36eDShn

• half sheet pans https://amzn.to/3gJjmHy

• silpat liners https://amzn.to/3Bj6uBx

• #50 scoop (NOT 50mm) https://amzn.to/3JfbvxE

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Old Fashioned Raisin Filled Cookies

makes 35 very large cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 cups lightly packed brown sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Filling:

• 1 pound raisins

• 1 cup water

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Recipe Directions

To Make the Dough (the night before baking):

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy (about a minute).

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Add the flour and baking soda until no traces of dry ingredients remain.

4. Transfer dough to a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag and chill overnight before using.

To Make the Filling:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine raisins, water, sugar, and cornstarch, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a full boil.

2. Remove from heat and stir in pure vanilla extract.

3. Transfer filling to an airtight container and allow to sit at room temperature until needed (can be made a day ahead).

To Assemble and Bake the Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, place rack in center position, and line 2 or 3 half sheet pans with silpat liners.

2. Allow cookie dough to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before rolling (or knead until pliable).

3. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness between two layers of parchment or wax paper.

4. Use 3-inch round cutter to cut 8 bottoms per sheet tray.

5. Top each bottom with a #50 scoop of filling (a little over 1 tablespoon). Be sure to drain away excess liquid if your filling is very “juicy”.

6. Cut another 8 dough rounds to top the filling for each cookie.

7. Gently press to flatten cookies before crimping the two disks of dough together with your fingers or a fork; use a toothpick to make a small vent hole in the center of each cookie.

8. Chill for 10-15 minutes before baking.

9. Bake one sheet pan at a time for 10 minutes; remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

• For best results, bake only one sheet pan at a time and be sure cookies have chilled properly before baking.

• No need for extra flour when rolling dough between two layers of parchment or wax paper.

• Filling should not be too goopy or “juicy” when filling the cookies. Drain away excess liquid before using to prevent the bottom of the cookies from getting soggy.

Purple Sweet Potato Pie

I love baking pie for Thanksgiving, but I’m not really a pumpkin pie fan so I like to switch it up from year to year. This year I had decided to make a sweet potato pie for two reasons, 1) because I live in a southern state, and 2) because they’re super yummy!

So off I went to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients needed. I walked in and what was the very 1st thing I stumbled upon? PURPLE sweet potatoes! I had never seen, or even heard, of purple sweet potatoes before, and since I have a number of family members who go bonkers for anything and everything purple, I just knew I had to get them. Purple Sweet Potato Pie - What a fun addition to the holiday table!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• disposable food-safe gloves https://amzn.to/34uNggl

• food processor https://amzn.to/3sEOKwr

• large open star tip https://amzn.to/3BvGMdb

• large disposable pastry bags https://amzn.to/33xWWCK

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3uIhQ0w

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

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Purple Sweet Potato Pie

makes 1 pie (9-inch)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the Pie Filling:

• 1 pound cooked and peeled purple sweet potatoes (see cooking directions below)

• 12 once can evaporated milk

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (try my easy recipe here)

For the Meringue Topping:

• 2 egg whites, room temperature

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• big pinch of cream of tartar

• small pinch of fine salt

• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
  

Directions

To make the pie filling:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in lower center position.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine until completely smooth the peeled sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves; scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell; place on a sheet pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until set (a very slight giggle in the very center of the pie is fine).

4. Remove pie from oven and cool to room temperature before chilling in an airtight container for several hours (overnight is even better).

To make the meringue topping:

1. In a medium bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla bean paste, and salt; use a fork or whisk to mix the ingredients and break up the eggs until they're frothy.

2. Use a hand mixer or the whip attachment of a stand mixer to whip egg whites until they reach soft peaks; sprinkle sugar in slowly and continue whipping until the whites are glossy and they reach the stiff peak stage.

3. Place meringue in a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip or large open star tip and pipe kisses around the top circumference of the pie; place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until meringue begins to brown on the edges, watching very carefully to prevent burning. Serve immediately.

Notes

• To bake purple sweet potatoes: wash potatoes and pierce with a knife or fork in several places to keep the potatoes from exploding in the oven. Place prepared potatoes in a baking dish and cover with foil; bake for 1 hour. Cool purple sweet potatoes, then peel skin off and discard - the skin should be easy to remove by hand or with a paring knife (you’ll definitely want to protect your hands with disposable gloves).

• DO NOT add meringue until just before serving - it’s highly hygroscopic and will become wet/watery if added too early.

• If you have a favorite sweet potato pie recipe, feel free to substitute purple sweet potatoes for the usual orange ones next time you make it.

• Topic for discussion at your next holiday gathering: Sweet Potatoes vs Yams. Although some people refer to sweet potatoes as yams, true yams are found in Africa and Asia. Just about every orange, yellow, and now purple-flesh “yam” sold in the US is actually a sweet potato.