Vintage Raisin Cookies are adapted from an circa 1940’s recipe appearing in the Akron Beacon Journal. They’re soft, buttery, and laden with plumped raisins and cinnamon and brown sugar.
A friend sent me a scanned image of a recipe for Raisin Cookies in an article written by Betty Harvey, Home Economics Editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, who’d received the recipe from a reader, Mrs. E.D. Hancock. Harvey deemed her the winner of the $1.00 award for that day. Even by 1940’s standards, the recipe is much more than $1.00. It’s a great recipe that I modified to make even better.
I substituted butter for shortening, replaced half the white sugar with brown sugar, used self-rising flour and eliminated all-purpose flour, leavening, and salt. The original recipe instruction included baking at 400 degrees. I felt that too high a temperature for cookies and I was right. The bottoms burned quickly so I reduced the oven temperature to 350.
I took the recipe, along with a box of raisins I had in the refrigerator, to our summer beach rental near where our grandchildren live. My grandson, Jackson, loves raisins so I imagined these would be a hit with him and a score for Nana.
Cooking in a kitchen other than mine can present an adventure. That was the case with the kitchen in the rental beach house. While the kitchen had the bare essentials, it lacked some extras to which I’m accustomed. In conversations with the owner, we learned that most folks don’t cook much when they rent his house. I’m a person who travels with my 12-inch cast iron skillet and spice cabinet when we travel by car so cooking is something I do, even on vacation. Honestly, I don’t enjoy eating every meal out.
I used an enamel pan for a mixing bowl. It was the same pan I used to mix up Buttermilk Banana Cinnamon Pancakes.
I re-purposed a splatter screen to serve as a cooking rack. It worked pretty well!
One batch makes about 6 dozen cookies. They’ll go pretty fast. My grandchildren and some friends went through a couple dozen in one afternoon. The baked cookies freeze well, if you’re so inclined. To thaw, simply let them come to room temperature. I’m sure the teaspoonfuls of raw dough would freeze just as well but I didn’t test for that.
These simple little cookies are satisfying. The dough is soft and the raisins are chewy. That makes for a nice contrast. Overall, this is a good cookie. My Jackson was most pleased. That makes me a happy Nana.
Vintage Raisin Cookies
yield: approximately 6 dozen (2 inch ) cookies
preheat oven: 350 degree
Adapted from a circa 1940’s recipe posted in the Akron Beacon Journal by Betty Harvey, Home Economics Editor. Soft buttery cookies laden with plumped raisins and highlighted with cinnamon and brown sugar.
1 cup water
2 cups (12 ounces) seedless raisins – for testing purposes, I used Sun Maid brand
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups self-rising flour – for testing purposes, I used White Lily
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Boil raisins and water together for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Cream butter with both sugars. Beat in eggs.
Stir in cooled raisin mixture (don’t drain) and vanilla.
Slowly add flour and cinnamon to wet mixture. Mix until all streaks of white flour are gone.
Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper, a baking mat, or spraying with non-stick spray.
Drop the chilled dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes or until the bottoms have browned.
Remove to a cooling rack.
Vintage Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- yield: approximately 6 dozen 2 inch cookies
- preheat oven: 350 degree
- Adapted from a circa 1940's recipe posted in the Akron Beacon Journal by Betty Harvey Home Economics Editor. Soft buttery cookies laden with plumped raisins and highlighted with cinnamon and brown sugar.
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups 12 ounces seedless raisins - for testing purposes, I used Sun Maid brand
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softenend
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups self-rising flour - for testing purposes I used White Lily
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Boil raisins and water together for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Cream butter with both sugars. Beat in eggs.
- Stir in cooled raisin mixture (don't drain) and vanilla.
- Slowly add flour and cinnamon to wet mixture. Mix until all streaks of white flour are gone.
- Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper, a baking mat, or spraying with non-stick spray.
- Drop the chilled dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes or until the bottoms have browned.
- Remove to a cooling rack.
Shelly says
Need to verify, 2 cups of sugar? I am diabetic, so Can I use Splenda instead?
Jackie Garvin says
Shelly,
I’ve never used Splenda so I can’t guve you guidance. The product markets itself as a sugar replacement in baked goods.
Marla says
Please note no where in your recipes for the raisin cookies does it list cinnamon in the list of ingredients it only says to add cinnamon with the flour mixture
Jackie Garvin says
Marla,
It calls for 2 teaspoons that’s listed right under the flour.
kathie barr says
i would love to add some rolled oats to this recipe, hence, oatmeal raisin cookies, any suggestions where to incorporate oats, maybe eliminating some flour and how much ?
Jackie Garvin says
Katie,
You’re going to have to experiment with this one. You might start with 1/2 oatmeal and 1/2 flour. You might need to increase the amount of fat, also. I’m interested to hear your results.
Nathaniel P. Joseph says
Thank you for your recipe for vintage raisin cookies , I will do my best to get it right! . Thanks Again Nathaniel in Baytown, Tx.
Nathaniel P. Joseph says
sorry I forgot to rate the Recipe four or more thank you.