My mom is always trying to find some of her old family recipes to share with me for this blog. She recently shared a handwritten recipe titled Raisin Pie Shortbread Cookies. The problem was that the instructions were incomplete. Like seriously incomplete.
I made it a challenge to figure out how to make these cookies with only the ingredients and a few scribbles for the instructions. Not an easy task. And I am doing all of this when my wife does not like raisins. Thank God she can bring them to work!
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My Mom’s Raisin Pie recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my blog. Unusual to many but absolutely delicious.
I love the raisin filling in that pie so when Mom said she had a recipe for sugar cookies with a raisin filling, well I needed to make it as soon as I could.
Turns out the process for making the filling for these cookies is very similar to that of the raisin pie. Actually the flavor profile of these cookies is very similar to that of my raisin pie.
Tips
- Don’t you hate it when raisins get stuck together in a big clump? To unstick the raisins, wet your hands with a little water then work the raisins apart.
- The dough for this recipe is very sticky. You will need to use a lot of flour when you roll it out. This is normal and you didn’t do anything wrong. Just be mindful that you will need more than the 2 cups of all purpose flour the recipe calls for.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Raisin Pie Shortbread Cookies recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- White Sugar – you can also use any sugar alternative
- Eggs – fresh large eggs as much as possible
- Milk – I use 2% milk
- Baking Powder
- Shortening
- All Purpose Flour – I mostly use King Arthur but use what you got (no affiliation)
- Salt – a must for most recipes
- Vanilla Extract – you can use store-bought or my Instant Pot Homemade Vanilla Extract or my Sous Vide Vanilla Extract
- Raisins
- Water
- Mexican Blend Cheese – try to use fresh lemon juice as much as possible
How to Make Raisin Pie Shortbread Cookies
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, eggs, flour and milk. Continue to mix until just about all of the flour is incorporated.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda and vanilla extract and mix to combine. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the Raisin Filling
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and a 1/4 cup of the water to form a paste. Stir in the remaining water, lemon juice and raisins.
- Over medium heat, cook until the mixture thickens and the raisins plump, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool to room temperature before using it.
Make the Raisin Pie Shortbread Cookies
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using about 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use as much flour as necessary to roll it out without it sticking.
- Cut the dough into rounds using a 2 3/4 inch cookie cutter. Place one on the prepared baking sheet, spoon 1 generous teaspoon of the raisin filling onto the circle and then top with another round of dough. There is no need to seal them shut as they will while baking. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bake the cookies until lightly golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Raisin Pie Shortbread Cookies
These Raisin Pie Shortbread Cookies taste just like a piece of delicious raisin pie! Ready to eat in under 2 hours! A must-try cookie recipe!
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Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 Egg
- 2 Cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Milk
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- 1 ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Filling
- 1 Cup Raisins
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- ½ Cup Water, lukewarm
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, eggs, flour and milk. Continue to mix until just about all of the flour is incorporated.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda and vanilla extract and mix to combine. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the Raisin Filling
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and a 1/4 cup of the water to form a paste. Stir in the remaining water, lemon juice and raisins.
- Over medium heat, cook until the mixture thickens and the raisins plump, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool to room temperature before using it.
Make the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using about 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use as much flour as necessary to roll it out without it sticking.
- Cut the dough into rounds using a 2 3/4 inch cookie cutter. Place one on the prepared baking sheet, spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the raisin filling onto the circle and then top with another round of dough. There is no need to seal them shut as they will while baking. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- Bake the cookies until lightly golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition (1 of 20 servings)
Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
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I used to love raisins but haven’t been a fan of them for years. However, when I was offered one of these cookies I was hesitant but decided to try them. They are DELICIOUS! The cookie is so tasty and the raisin filling makes for a delicious treat! I will definitely be making these cookies.
These cookies are the best I have tasted in a long time. The shortbread cookie is so moist and melts in your mouth. The filling is easy to make and oh so tasty. I do agree that you need more flour than the recipe calls for to roll them out so they do not stick to your baking sheet. I will definitely make them again.