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Image and Recipe Copyright © 2003-2008 Jennifer Iserloh

These are one of my all-time favorite cookies! My Granny baked a huge batch of these for my wedding reception. Luckily, I managed to eat at least one before the guests gobbled them down and the whole tray was emptied!

Makes 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients for Dough

2 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup trans-fat free, margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar for rolling out dough and dusting cookies

Ingredients for Filling

1 1/4 cups raisins
1/2 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup water
3 tablespoons flour

Directions

Sift dry ingredients together onto a piece of wax paper. In a large bowl, cream margarine, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir in sour cream.

Add the flour to the margarine mixture, stirring until well combined. Divide the dough into two equal portions (see slideshow on right). Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten the balls into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight. Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature before continuing.

Prepare the filling: In a saucepan, mix flour and sugar. Then add lemon juice, water, and raisins. Boil mixture until it starts to thicken, about 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Cool completely before filling the cookies. Note: The filling can be made the night before and refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat two large baking sheets with non-stick spray or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

On a work surface lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, roll out a dough disk 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut circles from the dough. Transfers the cookies to the baking sheets and dot the center of each cookie with a tablespoon of the raisin mixture. Roll and cut out remaining dough. With a small 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter or a pairing knife, cut a small circular opening in the center of the cookie “tops” and press over each of the filled cookies on the tray. Bake 15-18 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned and the dough is firm.

Cool completely on a wire rack before tasting, the filling is quite hot! Sprinkle with additional powered sugar if desired. Cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to one week.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Italian Wedding Soup or Buttermilk Biscuits.

Wine Pairing

Chardonnay