Dried Fruit Filling:
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup chopped dried figs
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries or cranberries
1 tbsp sugar
3/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon or orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice
Cookie Dough:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
Make Fruit Filling:
Combine the dried fruit, sugar, and spices, and grind in the food processor until the pieces are tiny.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 4 – 6 minutes until fruit is tender and liquid is absorbed. Cool to room temperature.
Make Cookie Dough:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Combine dry ingredients together, then add them to the mixing bowl alternately with the milk. Mix well. The dough will be fairly soft. Form the dough into plate-sized flat disks, wrap and refrigerate to make it easier to use.
Make cookies
Working with 1/4 of the filling at a time, form it into a smooth ball, then roll it into a log about 3/4 inch in diameter. Use flour as needed to roll this with your hands, so it isn’t sticky. Flatten the log into a strip about an inch wide and 3/8 inch high.
Roll out the dough in batches as you work. The goal is to have rolled dough a little longer than a strip of filling, and wide enough to wrap around plus a half inch overhang. Cut a wide edge on the rolled dough to make it straight. Lay the fruit near the edge, with enough of a margin to bring the cut side up and over the top of the fruit. Trim the other long side so you can lift the dough (use a metal turner) up over the fruit log, overlapping a bit with the first edge. Pinch well to seal. Seal the ends as well and trim any excess dough there. Place the completed cookie roll, seam side down, on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 375. Bake cookies for 15 minutes, until very lightly browned on the edges. Cool slightly, then cut into 1 inch pieces to form the individual cookies.
Makes 3 – 4 dozen.
Recipe adapted from a raisin cookie recipe from Karen Davis’s grandmother.