My mom made these cookies for my lunch when I was a kid. I reduced the sugar (reflected in the recipe below) from grandma’s recipe and, being someone who doesn’t really love shortening, I would recommend substituting for Earth balance.

A fun note about the plate in the photo for this recipe (and many others) – these plates were handed down to me when my grandfather moved to Mexico and was told these plates had belonged to my grandma Donna.

Ingredients

• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable shortening (or 1 cup + 2 tbsp Earth balance)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs (or flaxseed eggs)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are great)

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 350^o

Simmer raisins and water in a medium saucepan for 5 mins over medium low heat and let cool.

While the raisins cool, prepare the rest of the batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt).

In a separate large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time.

Finally, mix the nuts, flour, raisins and raisin water in with the creamed sugars. Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 mins.