Raisin Filled Cookies

Early in the spring I asked my mom to write a post for my recipe blog.  I asked to her to review some of her memories of childhood and write, for me, a memory.  The following post is hers.  She mailed this to me in the spring and I called her to tell her that I had gotten it and to thank her for sharing this memory.  She told me, "Shanon, I would like you to publish it in the fall.  I won't be here, but the story would be best suited for the fall."  My mother passed away in late August and I have watched the leaves change and drift to the ground.  Still I have procrastinated publishing this piece.  I've enjoyed seeing the letter perched on my dresser these last months.  It's a connection to her and somehow in publishing her recipe and memory, I feel like I am moving on and I'm not sure I like that feeling.

 With that being said.... here is my mother's memory:

My favorite time of the year has always been early autumn when nature steps out in an array of brilliant colors; but I also enjoy late autumn when the leaves start to fall and the air becomes chilly.  By this time the harvest had been safely gathered in and it would be time for the final preparations for winter and Hog Butchering time.  Probably that doesn't sound exciting to folks today, but with a fresh supply of lard, we knew our winter days would be filled with the smell of doughnuts frying or raisin-filled cookies baking.

My Dad would carefully trim all the fat from the meat and cook it in a large kettle on our wood burning stove.  I bet some of you have paid good money for commercial "pork cracklings" from this process.  The melted lard was then poured into crock jars, sealed and placed in a cool spot for winter cooking.  The best cooks today know that pure lard makes the flakiest pie crusts and pastries.  My mom made doughnuts and cookies by the dozens and the remaining ones were put in a heavy roasting pan placed on the bottom shelf of her cupboard where everyone could find them.  My very favorite was her Raisin-Filled Cookies.  Many years ago I copied this from my Mother's old worn, torn, almost unreadable notebook.  

Filling:

Combine 1 cup sugar with 3 Tablespoons of flour in a medium size mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/2 cups raisins and toss to coat. 

F

Bring one cup of water to a boil.  Add the flour, sugar and raisin mixture to the boiling water.  Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened; approximately 3 minutes.  Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight if desired.

Cookie Dough:

Cream together 1 cup lard(I used shortening)and 1 cup sugar. 
Add 1 egg and beat well.

In a separate bowl combine 3/4 cup whole milk with 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  In another bowl combine 3 1/2 cups flour with 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Sift together.

Add the flour mixture alternatively with the milk mixture to the creamed mixture until incorporated.  

Roll the dough very thin on a well-floured cloth and cut into rounds.

Place a teaspoon or more of the filling on half of the rounds,

 top with remaining rounds and press edges together. 

Bake 375 degrees 12 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges.  Do not over bake.

Store in an airtight container or an old roaster on the bottom shelf where all the people you love can reach them. These are always better the second and third day as the dough on the cookie softens. Full recipe at the bottom of this page!

(Shanon, did you know the rest of the "lard" story?  Just for your information: When some of the first settlers came to this area, they found that the hollow to the west and north part of town was covered with grasses, sagebrush, oakbrush, with a stream running through it.  But it was also full of rattlesnakes.  Since pigs can kill rattlesnakes, the settlers would put all their pigs in this spot from springtime until late autumn.  Then the men and boys would 'holler' to the pigs and most of them would come and the others were found and taken to their separate shelters.  Some called this area "Hog Holler" and others called it "Hog Hollow."  It didn't matter as both names were familiar.  An LDS church house was later built on part of this area; and at the dedication of that Chapel, the original names were researched and mentioned in a talk by one of the Stake Presidency.  It brought back memories for us old timers; but "comers"didn't appreciate that name for their church or address.  Today the Chapel and area is appropriately named Temple View and it still gives a magnificent view of the whole valley.)

So, there you have it; my mother's memory of raisin filled cookies.  I'm so glad she put this memory in writing for me and so glad she showed me around the kitchen.  As I worked on these I could almost hear her giving me little bits of advice and tips to make them turn out just right; and they did.  Man I miss her.

Old Fashioned Raisin Filled Cookies  from my momma Alta Dunsdon Chamberlain

Filling:
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup boiling water

Cookie Dough
1 cup lard (shortening to those of us who don't have a pig handy)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk
3 1/2 cups flour (plus some for rolling)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening (lard) and sugar, add egg and beat well.  Add vanilla to milk and set aside.  Sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in another bowl and alternatively add dry ingredients and the milk mixture to your creamed sugar/shortening/egg mixture.  Mix well.  
Roll dough very thin on a well-floured cloth and cut into rounds.  ( I used an old tuna can)  Place a teaspoon or more of the raisin filling on half of the rounds, top with remaining rounds and press edges together. 
Bake at 375 for 12 minutes, until edges turn golden.  Do not overbake.

Note:  For fun I filled a few with raspberry jam and a another with Nutella.  Then, just because I couldn't help myself, I added a glazing to a few and they turned out so pretty.