I fear there is nothing I can write that will make you want to bake these cookies. They’re gnarly and misshapen with an unattractive name that highlights their least exciting ingredient. They lack crispy edges and chewy centres, bearing a closer resemblance to muffin tops than cookies in texture. But I’m hoping you’ll see past all that because these boiled raisin cookies are my number one. Pillowy soft bites of spice that take me right back to my Berry Street childhood.
The boiled raisin cookie has appeared here once before—all the way back in 2007, if you can believe it —and I’m making an exception to my unspoken no-reblog rule to post the recipe again. What is new, however, is that Spilled Milk mug tucked away in the background. I’ve been an avid listener of the Spilled Milk podcast since episode one, so it was somewhat shocking when the show recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. FIVE YEARS. Now if I could just find a way to muster that same level of devotion for something productive…
Since we’re on the topic, here are two more podcasts I’m really enjoying these days (in addition to the usual suspects like The Moth and This American Life):
New Tech City looks at all of the ways that technology is changing our lives, zeroing in on a specific topic or type of technology: everything from Seriously, Listen to Your Voicemail to Me and My Girlfriend Texted Only in Emoji for a Month.
Death, Sex + Money talks about (you guessed it) death, sex and money—but not always all at once. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny, usually poignant, the Living Alone and Liking It. Sometimes. episode pushes all of those buttons.
I’m perpetually on the hunt for new listens, so please don’t be shy with any recommendations.
- 1 cup raisins
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp golden brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted
- Preheat your oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Grease or line your baking sheets with parchment paper before setting them aside.
- Combine the raisins and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the raisins, saving the liquid, and set aside both to cool. (Do as I say and not as I do or you will end up with chocolate-swirled boiled raisin cookies.)
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
- Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and the reserved liquid to the wet ingredients, mixing between each addition.
- Fold in the raisins, chocolate chips and nuts and stir just until evenly distributed.
- Drop by teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until lightly golden on the bottoms.
My Coquitlam grandmother had a similar recipe which she made for my father when he was young. I’ve spent years tweaking a vegan version of so that I can make these cookies for my family, so this certainly brings me back to the Coq. Thankfully I can call them by a family monicker to avoid the awkward name.
I wonder if there was some localized explosion in the popularity of these cookies that brought them to both my family and yours.
Drew! Funny to meet you here of all places.
I wonder if you’re on to something. I should see if my mom picked up this recipe from her childhood/youth in Coquitlam or during her Alberta sojourn later in life.