A sweet and chewy cookie with a hidden secret! I love my grandmother’s recipes. There are so many dishes that remind me of her and my Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. One ingredient that appears often is raisins. Dried fruits were a staple in traditional Dutch and German cooking, and my chewy raisin cookies are one of my favorite raisin recipes. They are just as sweet and chewy as their name suggests. And even if you don’t like raisins, this cookie may change your mind because they are hidden. The first thing in this recipe is to plump the raisins by cooking them in water, finely chopping them, and then using that mixture in the dough. This makes the cookies sweet and chewy, with all the delicious raisin flavor, but without anyone knowing there are raisins in them. Sneaky? Maybe, but no one will mind after their first bite.
Belle’s Chewy Raisin Cookies
1 cup raisins
1 cup water
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
In a small saucepan, combine raisins and water. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Set aside to cool, and then place it all in a food processor and blend until the raisins are finely chopped.
In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer), cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in another bowl and then gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in raisins with liquid and nuts- if you are using them.
Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets using a cookie scoop or tablespoon. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies begin to brown. Don’t overbake. Remove to wire racks to cool.
