Raisin Filled Cookies

This is one of my Grandmother's favorite recipes!  I was so excited when after I adapted it to make it gluten free, it still tasted the way I remember it!  It brings home floods of memories!  The recipe is called Basic Cookies, and can be adapted many ways.  It's a freezer cookie dough that you slice frozen, put the filling in and top with another slice.  It's nice to have cookie dough in the freezer ready to go on a dime.  As children, we would cut off a large slice and just eat the dough!  It was a favorite!

Basic Cookie Dough

Mix together and cream well:
   4 cubes butter
   2 cups sugar
   1 cup brown sugar
   4 eggs
   2 tablespoons milk
   2 teaspoons vanilla

Add:
   1 teaspoon salt
   2 teaspoons soda
   4 teaspoons xanthan gum
   7 cups featherlight flour

Mix in a large stand mixer.  Drop cookie dough on plastic wrap.  Form into rolls, about 2 inches in diameter, and wrap with the plastic wrap.  It makes about 4 rolls.  Chill in freezer for several hours.  This dough may be kept in the freezer for some time.

Raisin Filling

Put in blender:
   1 cup warm water
   1 teaspoon vanilla
   3/4 cup sugar
   1 tablespoon featherlight flour
   2 cups raisins
   1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend thoroughly but not too long.  Remove from blender and add 1 cup chopped nuts.  (Grandma loved larger pieces of nuts, and I do too!)

Slice frozen Basic Cookie dough rolls 1/4 inch thick and place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Put a spoonful of filling on top,  Place another slice of dough over the filling.  No need to seal the edges.  Bake at 350º for 9 - 12 minutes.  Do not under cook.