RAISON RACK RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Whisk eggs in a small bowl, add 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp vanilla and raisins; mix well. VERY IMPORTANT let set on counter for at least 1 hour.
• In another bowl, combine crisco, and sugars, mix well.
• Gradually add dry ingredients.
• Blend in raisin mixture -- mix well.
• I use a cookie scoop, slightly less than 1/4 cup and place them on a greased cookie sheet. I slightly flatten them with the back of the scoop.
• Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Do not flatten cookies a lot -- just a gentle tap.other wise they will flatten out too much.
• Baking note: please remember to reverse position of cookie sheets halfway through baking. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cookies should be slightly golden brown around edges. Centers will look set-- let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet and then remove to wire rack to complete cool.
• I have used this recipe for over 30 years-- always outstanding-- most important thing to remove cookies from oven before they are finished-- residual heat in cookies will complete cooking-- and result in a cookie that is not dried out.
• I also add more walnuts, as I like lots of big nuts in my oatmeal cookies-- I have often left the egg, raisin mixture on counter, for a couple of hours while cleaning house and came back and baked marvelous cookies.

Steps:

• Place a baking sheet on center rack of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Butter three 5 3/4- by 2 1/4-inch or four 4 1/4- by 2 1/2-inch mini loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter the paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk both flours, sugar, tarragon or fennel seeds, baking soda and salt Add buttermilk and stir until smooth. Fold in pecans and raisins until evenly distributed. Divide among prepared pans, filling 1/4-inch from the top (batter will rise slightly in the oven), and smooth tops.
• Place pans on baking sheet and bake until loaves are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Slide a thin-bladed knife around the pan edges. Carefully invert the loaves onto a wire rack, and discard the parchment. Cool completely, right side up on the rack.
• Freeze loaves on a pan until very firm, at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Working with one frozen loaf at a time, cut 1/8-inch-thick slices with a sharp serrated bread knife. Arrange slices on prepared pan, spacing them 1/4-inch apart. Bake one pan at a time until crackers are browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer crackers to wire racks and let cool completely.