Harrod’s of London
Golden Raisin Cookies
(These cookies are just wonderful - light, crisp, sweet, full of raisins,
and perfect for serving anytime or especially for High Tea.)
The original Herrod’s recipe uses out-of-the-box raisins; however, my rum-soaked rendition is far superior. Begin these cookies months ahead by making a stash-pot jar of drunken raisin jewels. Such macerated dried fruit products improve with age and keep handsomely on a cupboard shelf for years.
• 1 cup sweet (i.e. unsalted) butter, softened
• 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons Karo Light Corn Syrup or Lyle’s Original Golden Syrup
• 2 & 2/3 cups A.P. flour
• 1 teaspoon baking SODA
• 1 tablespoon baking POWDER
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups rum-soaked golden raisins
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. (Use a standard electric or gas oven. A convection oven does NOT produce good results.)
3. In a K-5 mixer fitted with a flat paddle, cream together the butter, sugar, and corn syrup at high speed until light and fluffy.
4. (IMPORTANT: the butter must be very soft, and the beaten creamed mixture must be very very fluffy - do not skimp on allowing the KA the time it needs to achieve this.)
5. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder onto a large piece of waxed paper. Make sure the soda and B. powder are thoroughly and evenly distributed throughout the flour.
6. Reduce the mixer speed while slowly incorporating the flour/soda mixture, and then the raisins.
7. Using a small ice cream scoop, portion and roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place one-inch apart onto an upside-down half bun pan or non-stick teflon coated baking sheet. Doughballs will “melt” and flatten as they cook.
8. Bake for 12-13 minutes until golden.
9. Remove cookies from pan and place on a wire cooling rack. Store in air tight containers.
10. Do NOT pack finished cookies into containers, plastic bags, or wrap in film-wrap until cookies have dried completely.
These cookies are best served after they are thoroughly cooled and have become crispy.
