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| These crisp little biscuits/ cookies remind me of the Sunshine Raisin Biscuits that my English Grandma always had in her cookie cabinet and served to me with tea. |
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (6 tablespoons) powdered sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt**
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter**
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (6 tablespoons) orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 cups raisins
parchment paper
1/4 cups egg whites (or two eggs) lightly beaten (just until frothy)
Method:
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the container of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
Cut the butter into small chunks and sprinkle over the flour mixture. Pulse until the butter is mixed in and the dough is crumbly. Add the orange juice and zest. Pulse just until the dough forms a ball. (If the dough doesn't hold together, add a tablespoon of ice water and pulse.)
Divide the dough into four portions. (about 4 1/2 ounces each) Shape each portion into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
Next, add the raisins to the food processor and pulse just until they are chopped. (No need to clean the food processor before adding the raisins.)
When you are ready to bake the biscuits, preheat the oven to 350*. Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper to fit inside of baking sheets. Place one of the parchment pieces on the counter and lightly dust with flour.
Place one of the discs of dough on the parchment. Roll into a rectangle that is 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. Lightly brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg whites.
Spread 3/4 cup of the raisins on half of the dough. (along the long side.) Place a piece of waxed paper on top of the raisins and gently press them into the dough.
Lift the parchment paper to carefully fold the empty side of the dough over the raisins.
Roll the dough again to form a rectangle 15 inches long and 6 inches wide. (It's okay for some raisins to show through the top of the dough.) Brush the top with egg whites. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 24 squares. (about 2 inches square) Do not separate the squares.
Slide the parchment with dough onto a baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaing dough and raisins. Bake each prepared baking sheet for 17 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet or slide the parchment off the baking sheet and onto the counter until completely cooled. Separate the biscuits. If needed use the pizza cutter to cut any edges that are still attached. If desired, transfer to a cooling rack to make certain the biscuits are completely cooled.
Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, or in the refrigerator. Makes 8 dozen (96 biscuits)
**If you use salted butter, only add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Notes:
When I was a young girl, Sunshine baked "Golden Raisin Biscuits" that were sold at grocery stores. Keebler purchased Sunshine in 1996 and sadly, in 2001, stopped making the cookies.This recipe is close to the original biscuits and a wonderfully nostalgic treat. ~ a tasty cookie that is not overly sweet.
In the UK, officially these cookies are called Garibaldi Biscuits”. The first Garibaldi Biscuits were created in the year 1813. "Garibaldi Biscuits are named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, a famous Italian General and patriot who unified Italy. Garibaldi was so immensely admired in England that supposedly the whole country shut down for 3 days when he visited.”
The cookies are still sold in the UK and are made with small currants instead of raisins that need to be chopped. “They are known colloquially as fly sandwiches, dead fly biscuits or squashed fly biscuits because the squashed fruit resembles squashed flies.” Oh yummy! (If you ever are offered a dead squashed fly biscuit, you will know that it really is a raisin cookie!) 😂
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