Stuffed Cookie Series: Buttered Brown Sugar Raisin Cookies

Things have been quite busy for me lately, so it's been a while since my last post. I may have mentioned my new job at a local restaurant opening near my house... well, it's open now! We just opened this past Tuesday so I've been there almost all day everyday since then. We're definitely still getting the hang of things but each day gets a little better and I'm really enjoying the job so far. The other day I got to put my baking skills to use and made a batch of stuffed sugar cookies using some of the berry compote we have for pancakes. I added a little extra flour to thicken the filling so they turned out just like mini pies. I also used the biscuit cutter (like a cookie cutter) to make them uniform and brushed the tops with an egg wash before sprinkling on some sugar to give them a little pizzazz.

Anyway, on to the next recipe... Buttered Brown Sugar Raisin cookies!

I have recently really begun to like raisins (and I've always loved sugar) so this has become one of my favorites. I started with the same sugar cookie dough I used in the Blueberry Stuffed Sugar Cookie recipe but made a different filling. To make the filling I started by melting a stick of butter in a small saucepan then I stirred in 3/4 cup of brown sugar, whisking until it melted. I also stirred in a tablespoon of white sugar and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Next I added 1 1/4 cups seedless raisins and let the mixture simmer until it was hot and bubbly.

Once the filling was ready I took it off the heat to set while I prepared the cookies. Rather than using my tart pans, this time I ended up just rolling the sugar cookie dough out and cut out circles of it. I had to use a bit of extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin but it worked pretty well. You could also just take balls of cookie dough and flatten them out by hand. Once I had a few of the cookies prepared I spooned a heaping teaspoon of my raisin mixture into the center of each cookie and topped it with another cookie. When I made those berry compote cookies at the restaurant I ended up dipping my finger in water and ran it around the edge of the bottom cookie to make the top cookie stick more. Then I pinched together the edges, making it look almost like a little pie. Once I had a sheet full of cookies prepared I baked them at 350°F for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Here's what they looked like when I scooped the filling onto the bottom cookie layer:

Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:

5 c flour
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten (or 6T egg beaters)
4 T milk (I used almond milk and it was fine)
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

1 stick butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 T granulated sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup seedless raisins


Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. With the mixer running, add the eggs, milk and vanilla.
4. With the beater on low, add the flour mixture in small batches. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary and beat until combined.
5. Divide the dough in half, wrap it in plastic and place it in the refrigerator for an hour or so.
6. Combine the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until the sugar is melted. Stir in the cinnamon and raisins then cook over low heat until thick and bubbly. Set aside.
7. Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and knead it a little if it is too hard to work with. 
8. Roll out the cookie dough on a well-floured surface and use a cookie cutter to cut out round cookies of the desired size.
9. Scoop a heaping teaspoon of raisin filling into the center of each cookie and spread it.
10. Cut out additional circles of cookie dough large enough to cover the raisin filling on the bottom layer of cookie dough. Pinch the edges of the two cookie layers together using your fingers.
11. Bake the cookies at 350 for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. After 15 minutes you may choose to brush the tops of the cookies with an egg wash or melted butter and sprinkle some white sugar on top. Place the cookies back in the oven until done, or 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes or so then remove them and let them cool completely on a wire rack.