Aunt Macie's Raisin Cookies

Currently I am in Kansas visiting my relatives. Yesterday I told my grandma about my new found addiction to baking things. Her response, "Bake as much as you want, whenever you want," BIG mistake. I tried to hold bake the urge to bake...it lasted all but 12 hours.
To satisfy my craving, I asked my dad and uncle what they would like me to bake and immediately my uncle said, "Aunt Macie's Raisin Cookies...they are the best." 

Say what? How have I never heard of these amazing cookies when apparently in the family cookbook (which I did not know we had until today)?

I ran and found my grandma and asked for the recipe. We gathered the ingredients and I started.

I found that working in a foreign kitchen can be difficult. First batch, I don't think I actually got the oven to preheat so they were a little doughy - but still good! 

Second batch, the oven WAS preheated and I upped the time so they came out a little too cooked.

Third times the charm! I successfully had the oven preheated and put them in for the right time!

The cookies are really good but, in my opinion, the dough is SO GOOD too! Enjoy!

Aunt Macie's Raisin Cookies

2 cups Raisins
1 cup water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next combine the raisins and water and boil for 5 minutes (or you could use the microwave). Let it cool and then stir in the baking soda and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a separate bowl; set aside. Now, cream the shortening and sugar; add the eggs one by one and the vanilla. Beat the mixture. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time to the creamed mixture. Then add the raisins mixture. Drop teaspoons of the batter onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 6-7 minutes, turn the sheet around and then bake for another 6-7 minutes.