Day 10: Raisin Drop Cookies

The key ingredient to these delicious morsels… LARD!

I really hope I have not scared you away.  Most people FREAK when the hear that lard was used in a recipe.  It shouldn’t scare you, or worry you.  Lard is very much the same as shortening, BUT not always substitutable.  Believe me, don’t try and google a lard substitute, tried that once. Bad results.  Lard does not equal shortening.   This recipe will make you want to throw some lard in your cart at the store. OH it is worth it too to seek out the lard, these are so yummy!

I actually was not going to make these until later in the month, but my mom showed up at my house yesterday with a tub of raisins.  She said, “You told me you forgot these the other day at the store, so I thought I would get them for you. I don’t want you to forget to make my favorite cookies during your challenge.” So thoughtful isn’t she?

While she was over I boiled the raisins to get them ready for today’s cookies.  My favorite part of the recipe is how the raisins are prepared.  By simmering the raisins they balloon back up (yes that this is the technical word for it), and become incredibly soft.  When you bite into one of these cookies the raisins just melt in your mouth!

The raisins are incredibly fragile once “ballooned up”, so take care to stir them in gently.  You don’t want to have mushed up raisins in your cookies.

These will be well worth testing out lard in your baking. I promise. You might be pleasantly surprised 🙂

Raisin Drop Cookies

yields 4 dozen cookies

• 1 cup raisins, precooked
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup raisin juice (water from simmering raisins)
• 1 cup lard, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. In small sauce pan, simmer raisins and water for 10 minutes. Store in refrigerator over night to cool; raisins still in water.  Storing with water still on the raisins will help the raisins puff up and soften.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream together lard and sugar with electric mixer.  Add eggs, vanilla and raisin juice. Continue mixing until all combined.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, and soda.  Continue mixing with electric mixer.  Stir in oats by hand.
4. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and raisins.  Stir lightly to prevent smashing raisins.
5. Bake  at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to tin foil to cool. Store in air tight container with wax paper between layers.