Italian Walnut Raisin Cookies

This is one of my favorite raisin cookie recipes that I have for many many years and modified it from the original that was in an Epicurious magazine in the mid-1990s. I used to bake these cookies when we lived in Turkey so I’ve been making them since then. YIKES… man that sounds like a long time ago.

It’s not a recipe I make often as it’s a bit pricey with the cost of the walnuts so I buy them bulk at a local store for $5.88 a pound. I normally pull this one out for dinner parties and the holidays.

WARNING: DO NOT EAT THE COOKIE DOUGH! No, it’s not because there are raw eggs in there… it’s because it’s so tasty that you will eat a lot of it — trust me.

Italian Walnut Raisin Cookies

I used to place the walnuts into my food processor but now I hand chop them with my Pampered Chef Food Chopper – love it {actually them… we own 3… don’t ask… obsessive personality}. I prefer to hand chop so the walnuts are a little chunkier than the fine results of the food processor.

Once you have your chopped walnuts, roll the cookies into the chopped walnuts to form balls under your hand as the dough picks up the walnuts.

I use two spatulas to fold the raisins into the dough. You need gently work them in as the raisins so they don’t tear apart.

And now for the part that makes these cookies AMAZING! Baking them in butter.

Italian Walnut Raisin Cookies

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups flour, all purpose
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, unsalted at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coating

• walnuts {2+ cups needed to roll the cookies}
• butter, softened

Instructions

1. Boil water and allow rasins to steep for 1 minute to make them plump
2. Drain and allow to dry
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl
4. In a large bowl mix together the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture
6. Add the raisins to the batter and roll into plasic wrap
7. Chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
9. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil and heat in oven.
10. Once they are warm spread the butter on the bottom of the foil.
11. Chop or grind the walnuts.
12. Make small balls with the dough and roll into the walnuts.
13. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until the cookies spread and are golden brown

Italian Walnut Raisin Cookies