Raisin Sugar and Spice Cookie is fantastic! The smell as you bake them will drive you crazy with desire! They are worth the extra time it takes to make them. These cookies consists of a soft, buttery dough, speckled with vanilla bean seeds, rolled out and filled with an aromatic golden raisin jam.
These are rolled cookie dough filled with a homemade raisin jam that you will infused with lemon peel and grated ginger root. The jam is the highlight of the Raisin Sugar and Spice Cookie. Baked, these cookies are a delight to bite into. The butter dough browns nicely into a crispy sugar coated treat filled with the warm wonderful jam sensation as you complete your bite.
They make a great holiday cookie and will be popular on the holiday buffet table. Kind of like the nursery song, Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice.
More favorite Cookie Recipes and Secrets To Making Perfect Cookies. Also learn How To Have A Successful Holiday Cookie Exchange or Cookie Swap.
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped of seeds
- 1 1/3 cups sugar (granulated), divided
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, ground
- 1 cup golden raisins
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly-grated
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Coarse sugar (such as sanding sugar)
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In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter, vanilla bean seeds, and 1 cup sugar about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Beat in the milk and then add the eggs, one at a time; until well mixed.
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In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Add to the butter mixture, beating only until just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours until dough is firm.
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In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, mix together the raisins, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and ginger.
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In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 1/2 cup water until smooth; add to the raisin mixture. Heat, stirring occasionally, until it just comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with silpats or lightly greased parchment paper.
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Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and cut the dough in half; roll out two rectangles 1/8-inch thick.
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In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks and cream with a fork; set aside.
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Spoon 12 mounds, about a tablespoon each, of the raisin mixture spread 3 1/2 inches apart on one rectangle of dough. Cover with the other sheet of dough and cut around the mound of filling with a fluted round 3-inch cookie cutter (you may need to flour the cookie cutter). Rework the excess dough, re-roll, fill with raising mixture, and cut for the remainder of the cookies.
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Lift filled cookies onto prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops of the cookies with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
Source: Recipe is from chef Craig Strong. Recipe appeared in The Los Angeles Times newspaper in 2006. Chef Craig Strong is now at the Montage Laguna Beach Resort in Southern California.