RAISIN BARS SUNSHINE RECIPES

Steps:

• Lightly grease 2 baking sheets, or line with parchment paper-(I use parchment) Dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into small cubes, and work it into the dry ingredients using your fingers, a mixer or a fork, mixing until the dough in unevenly crumbly.
• Drizzle with the orange juice and water,mixing until dough holds together and it doesn't seem all dry or crumbly-you've added enough liquid.
• Divide the dough in 1/2, and shape each 1/2 into a small rectangles ;pressing each of the 4 sides against the work surface to smooth any rough edges.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Remove 1 piece of dough from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350^. Place dough on a lightly floured parchment paper surface. Roll it into a rectangle 10x 14-inches, about a little less than 1/8 -inch thick; the THINNER the better. Ragged edges are OK. The thinner you can roll them without tearing the better!
• Brush dough lightly with some of the beaten egg, then spread 1/2 the surface with 3/4 cup of the raisins, pressing them in carefully. Fold dough over raisins and flatten dough again with rolling pin. to about 6x15-inches. Some raisins might pop though- that's OK. Slide dough off parchment paper onto the prepared cookie sheet. Brush dough with some of the beaten egg ,(if using the coarse sugar,sprinkle on now).
• Using a roiling pizza wheel or bench knife, carefully cut the rectangle of dough inti 3 strips,lengthwise. Then crosswise into 5 pieces.No need to separate they will break apart when you finish baking them. But you can separate them if you wish.Both ways work well. Because they don't expand much.Using a fork poke holes all over the top of the dough.
• Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 18 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on rack. If you do not need the cookie pan you can cool them on the pan. I baked them apart this time- but like them left together with perforations then baked.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15 inch baking pan.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
• Combine raisins and water (or juice) in saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in shortening.
• When the mixture has cooled to lukewarm beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in sugar; stir to blend. Beat flour mixture into the shortening mixture. Stir in the walnuts. Pour into prepared baking pan.
• Bake for 12 minutes. When they have cooled cut them into bars; sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.