I enjoy re-engineering vintage recipes. I recently came across a recipe for an Old Fashioned Biscuit Cookie that I remember enjoying in my childhood. We rarely had store bought baked goods in our large household, so the taste of these cookies is still entrenched in my memory. They were so different from the home baked Hermit cookies that my Mom typically made. Cookies that look like a cracker with a chewy texture and crunchy sugar topping were very appealing back then and are still today. Old Fashioned Golden Raisin Biscuit Cookies were originally known as Garibaldi Biscuits and were named after an Italian general named Giuseppe Garibaldi. The biscuit company Peek Freans first manufactured the cookie in 1861. They have been a popular snack for over 150 years in Britain, as well as Australia and New Zealand where they are known by different names such as “Fruitli” and “Full O’Fruit.”
Originally, currants were used in Garibaldi Biscuit Cookies. In this Old Fashioned Golden Raisin Biscuit Cookies recipe, I have substituted Golden Raisins for the currants. The cookie dough is rolled into a thin layer and folded over a layer of golden raisins and firmly pressed flat with a rolling pin to create a thin sheet of fruit-studded dough. While currants were traditional in this distinctive cookie, I like the look of the golden raisins peeking through the dough and in the baked cookie. Golden raisins are also known as sultanas and are made from green seedless grapes that are dried. Golden raisins are the juiciest and lightest in colour of all raisins. Raisins (dark raisins, sultanas and currants) are highly nutritious, high in fibre, potassium and antioxidants. Due to their concentrated nature, they are also high in sugar and calories so it is advisable to eat them in moderate amounts.
“Everything in moderation, including moderation.”
Julia Child
I remember reading about a study that showed eating raisins may lower blood pressure, improve control of blood sugar and also increase the feelings of satiety. On a more romantic note, I remember reading the following quote from a dietician’s manual that has stuck with me for many years:
“Eat a handful of raisins, and you can kiss your husband for an hour! ” Anonymous
I find it quite amusing that this style of cookie is today often referred to as ‘Boomer Cookies’. My husband refers to them as “Old Fart Favourites” – he is a boomer (#oldfart). You will want to try this old-fashioned recipe, which has been modernized to accommodate gluten-free/dairy-free options as well as maintaining the traditional recipe. Both versions are scrumptious.
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