Filling

This is off the top of head her mother never wrote down a receipt for the filling.

1½ box of raisins (around 9 ounces)

About ½ cut of sugar (her mother just added sugar without measuring)

Mix the raisins and sugar in a saucepan (9”) then cover the raisins with water (more is better). Cook on a medium heat until the raisins are very tender (about 30 minutes).

Get a cup out of the cabinet and put tablespoon of cornstarch in the cup. Add little bit of water (add a little a time) and mix until you have a thin paste. Stir the paste in the cooked raisins until the filling is thick (you don’t have to use all the paste)

Set raisin filling aside and let cool while you make the cookie dough. Stirring the mixture occasionally.

Cookie dough

3 cups of sifted flour

3 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup of butter (soften)

½ cup of firmly packed brown sugar (Ms Massey recommends ¾ cup)

1 egg (well beaten)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/3 cup of milk

Sift the flour once before you measure. In small bowl mix the flour, baking power and salt. Sift flour mixture again.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter thoroughly and then add the sugar gradually. Cream until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and beaten egg to the mixture. Cream until light and fluffy.

Then alternately add the flour mixture, and milk, in small amounts. Beat after each addition until smooth.

Ms Masses says as a little girl she with try to steal a little of the dough to eat, it’s really good.

Roll the mixture until ¼ inch thick on a flour board. Cut with 2 ½ round cookie cutter (use a smaller cookie cutter for smaller cookies).

Place 1 small teaspoon of the filling on a circle and place another circle on top. Press the edges together making a small pie.

Bake in hot oven until done. With today’s ovens, bake at 350 until golden brown (10 – 12 minutes)

I had to asked Ms Masses how her mother knew when the oven was hot enough. She would stick her hand in the oven to tell when it was ready. When cooking on top of the stove she would move her palm over the top of the stove top find the spot (hot, medium or low).