Recipe: Amish Raisin Cookies

Amish Raisin Cookies

Makes about 36 cookies

You might pass over these plain-looking rounds on a festive holiday platter. But they have a subtle spice flavor and an especially tender, almost biscuit-like texture -- studded with soft raisins -- that makes them unique. The unbaked cookies should have a rough, rather than smooth, texture so they form bumpy mounds. From cookbook author Elinor Klivans.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.

1 cup seedless raisins

Water

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Position oven racks in the middle and upper third of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the raisins in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover them (about 1 cup). Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the raisins and set aside to cool.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar and eggs for about 1 minute, just until the pieces of butter become small specks. Add the vanilla extract, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and add the cooled raisins. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Add the pecans, mixing just to combine. (The dough will be coarse.)

Pinch off tablespoon-size pieces of dough and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. (The cookies will look like rough mounds.) Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until the bottoms and several spots on the top are light brown. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per cookie: 95 calories, 1 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 2 g saturated fat, 26 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Madonna Lebling; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com