Oatmeal raisin cookies are not the only baking recipe you should employ raisins in. While there’s nothing wrong with the traditional, old-school way of treating raisins, there’s so much more you can do with the versatile dried fruit.
We’ve made this sandwich cookie that does take notes from a traditional pairing (chocolate + fruit), but updates it, and makes it into a delicious treat.
When California raisins are mixed into some deep, dark, chocolate dough, you get intensity without things getting overly sweet. Because of their natural sweetness, you can add less sugars to any raisin recipe, and their flavor shines through too.
If you want to make this recipe, use California Raisins, available in retail packaging in leading supermarkets, and in bulk through ingredient suppliers nationwide.
Prepare raisins: Combine California Raisins and sugar in a bowl. Pour hot water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Leave for 15 minutes, covered, until raisins are plump and softened.
Make jam: Transfer raisin mixture to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add cinnamon and stir through the jam. Set aside to cool completely.
Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking trays with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Make cookie dough: Add brown sugar, white sugar, melted butter, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until mixture is well combined and lighter in color and texture. Add eggs and beat until well incorporated. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into the bowl. Fold together with a spatula until well incorporated, taking care not to overmix.
Add raisins to cookie dough: When only a few streaks of flour remain, add raisins and fold into the dough with a rubber spatula.
Bake cookies: Scoop dough by the ½ cup onto the prepared baking trays, leaving about a 2–3 inch gap in between cookies (they will spread a lot when baked). Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, rotating halfway and lightly banging the trays on the oven rack to create crispier edges. Remove from oven and let cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling tray.
Assemble cookies: To make sandwich cookies, spoon about 1 tbsp of the prepared raisin jam onto the flat side of one cookie. Sandwich with a second cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and jam.
