Apricot and Raisin-Filled Cookies
When I was a child, I absolutely did not like these cookies made by my Grandmother, but my Dad sure did. Well, Dads are always right! Now, it wouldn't be Christmas without them.
When I was a child, I absolutely did not like these cookies made by my Grandmother, but my Dad sure did. Well, Dads are always right! Now, it wouldn't be Christmas without them.
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 each egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (added to sour milk to foam)
- 2 tablespoon milk soured with few drops vinegar
- 4 cups flour, plain
- -- filling --
- 8 ounces apricots dried
- 8 ounces raisins
- Carbohydrate 32.9784452613913 g
- Cholesterol 18.2311250077734 mg
- Fat 2.78442057774657 g
- Fiber 0.949967026329507 g
- Protein 1.94646033849966 g
- Saturated Fat 1.58875355532222 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (63g)
- Sodium 1694.46427999525 mg
- Sugar 32.0284782350617 g
- Trans Fat 0.287319046651089 g
- Calories 160 calories
Step-by-step
- Cream together butter and sugars.
- Add beaten eggs, then stir in soured milk.
- Mix flours, spices, and salt.
- Gradually mix into sugar, butter, and egg mixture.
- Form dough into ball.
- Place in bowl loosely covered with wax paper.
- Chill.
- After dough is thoroughly chilled, roll out until about 1/4" thick and cut into 3" circles.
- Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle, then cover with another circle.
- Use a fork to press down around the entire edge to seal.
- Prick the top, then bake at 350? until light golden brown.
- Cook apricots and raisins in water until very mushy (you may need to add more water through the process).
- Mash with masher, then add sugar, cornstarch and vanilla.
- Remove from heat after thickened.
- Allow to cool.
Rolling sticky dough to an exact one-quarter inch thickness requires patience and a well-floured surface, but chilling the mass thoroughly beforehand prevents it from sticking to the counter and keeps the butter from melting under warm hands. When ambient kitchen temperatures rise, cold fat solidifies and ensures the pastry holds its shape rather than spreading thin in the oven.
Maximizing Leftover Fruit Compote
Simmering dried apricots and raisins extracts maximum sweetness, yielding a thick paste that easily doubles as a spread for morning toast or a dollop inside porridge when extra compote remains after baking forty cookies. Because dried fruit offers concentrated sugars and long shelf stability, this cooked filling stores well in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to one week without fermenting. Fresh fruits introduce excess water that requires prolonged reduction times and alters the final structural integrity of the enclosed pocket pastry.
- If the dough tears while sealing the edges, lightly dab the perimeter with water using a fingertip to bind the top and bottom circles.
- Pricking the top crust with a fork allows steam to escape during the bake cycle at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, preventing the pastries from ballooning or bursting open.
- Bake until edges turn a pale golden brown, which typically signals doneness without scorching the fruit sugars inside.
