Raisin Puffs

These Raisin Puffs are remarkable! Like incredibly soft sugar cookies, and light as air. Soft, puffy, and thick! With a heap-ton of raisins – simmered to bring out deeper and richer flavor. These Raisin Puffs might sound ordinary, but they will knock your socks off!

Hey friends! Miraculously, I posted 4x last week. I can’t believe I managed to be so productive. Yay me. And I posted 4 pumpkin recipes. Yessss. What a great week. I loved every second of it. I hope you did too!

I just discovered a few days ago that my newsletter isn’t sending out, and I’ve got to get that fixed! If you missed any of the recipes from last week, I posted Pumpkin Spice Latte Rice Krispie Treats, Pumpkin Oatmeal Scotchies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars, and Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream! So much good stuff.

For a dinner idea, I also posted this Mediterranean Chicken & Pasta recipe, so there’s something savory for you too!

I thought I’d mix things up for you a little bit today. I suppose these Raisin Puffs are not exactly a fall cookie, but something about desserts with raisins have a fall vibe to me. What do you think?

Maybe I should post these Raisin Puffs closer to Christmas (yeah, I said it) so you have ideas for a Christmas cookie tray or for holiday cookie exchanges, but here we are in October, and you’re getting Raisin Puffs now.

These are a fave family recipe. My Gma got this recipe from a friend at church. She was attending a church potluck, and her friend brought these Raisin Puffs. My Gma loooooved them, and asked for the recipe. Simple as that.

Of our favorite family recipes, we all enjoy Raisin Puffs, but I think my Gma loves them the most. She didn’t even get this recipe until later in life, but once she discovered these cookies, they moved up the ranks quickly. Even though we haven’t had Raisin Puffs in the family as long as other recipes, maybe 15 years or so, they are still a classic to us now – she made them with such regularity!

She’s 92 now and doesn’t do much baking, but she always likes to help. When I’m home visiting, and we flip through recipes to decide what to make, she’ll stumble on these, and she says the same thing every time: “Raisin Puffs! I love Raisin Puffs. We’ve got to make these.” I guess that sounds like a pretty basic reaction, but maybe you have to hear how she says it. It’s always exuberant. 🙂

These are remarkable little cookies, and they don’t sound that exciting, but they’re quite spectacular. I don’t even really like raisins, but I love Raisin Puffs!

The raisins are simmered first in water before they’re added to the cookies, so they’re soft and moist, and they almost get a rum-like flavor. It’s unexpected, but even a simmer in water brings out a deep, rich flavor to the raisins. It’s fantastic. The cookies are like incredibly soft sugar cookies, and they’re light as air. Soft, puffy, and thick. They’re just like… puffs. Delicate and tender.

Raisin Puffs might sound ordinary, but they are a cookie where the whole is better than the sum of its parts, know what I mean? Try them, you’ll see.

5 from 2 votes

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Raisin Puffs

These Raisin Puffs are remarkable! Like incredibly soft sugar cookies, and light as air. Soft, puffy, and thick! With a heap-ton of raisins - simmered to bring out deeper and richer flavor. These Raisin Puffs might sound ordinary, but they will knock your socks off!

Course Cookies

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 36 cookies

Author Sarah

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar divided
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Combine raisins and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Simmer until water is almost completely reduced, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar.

4. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined.

5. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

6. Gradually add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, beating until combined.

7. Stir in raisins.

8. Place remaining 1/2 c. sugar in a small bowl.

9. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in the sugar, thoroughly coating.

10. Arrange dough balls two inches apart on parchment paper or silicone mat-lined baking sheets.

11. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until edges are golden, and centers appear set. 

12. Remove from heat, and allow to cool on cookie sheets for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.